Lost Princess
by cordelia25
Summary: Based on the animated movie called "Anastasia." Mai lives in an orphanage with no memory of her past. Meeting a guy in town turned her life upside down as she ran away from the soldiers sent by the government to kill her.
1. Death of the Royal Family

Hey guys! This is just a preview of what I'm working on right now. The "Not Everyone Has a Happy Ending" is done but I haven't uploaded the final chapters.

This story is based on the movie _Anastasia. _ I fell in love with the movie and I actually did some real research about the Romanov Family, not the wikipedia research. I was so interested and I decided to write a story based on it. This is just chapter 1. I won't be uploading the next chapters until the end of October or whenever I finished uploading the final chapters of "Not Everyone Has a Happy Ending."

I hope you guys will like this one! Enjoy the preview!

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><p>"Mother!" screamed a 7 years old girl. She was being pushed away by a crowd of people from her mother, who was being dragged on the opposite way by the anti-imperial army. "Mai!" her mother called. She tried to push pass the crowd who was running away from the army but she was too small. "Mother!" she called once again. Her mother did not reply. She searched for her but there was no sign of her. "Mother?" she called out again. When she turned around she was pushed down rather harshly on the brick road, hitting her head with a loud thump.<p>

The news broke and it reported that the royal family has been assassinated by the anti-imperial army. None survived, but there was only 3 bones found on the grave sight instead of 4. They considered the last heir to the throne to be dead since they couldn't find her/him. Thus, the royal bloodline of the Taniyama family has been ceased. The Royal Highnesses Taniyama Ryu and Taniyama Kaname and their two children, twins duke Miroku and duchess Maiyu were announced dead. There was no heir to the throne if the monarchy is back. Still, the citizen hoped and believed that the missing child is still alive and will help them back on their feet and help the nation flourished like it did. The search continued for the missing heir, even after 10 years failure.

And this is where the story begins…

On the outskirt of the once beautiful nation lived a 17 years old girl named Mai. She lived in a rundown orphanage with 30 more children who's only hope of living was whatever Mai brings home from work once she's done selling vegetables in town. She spent most of her time in labor to get more money for the starving children at the orphanage. Her battered nude colored dress that ends mid-way through her calves with a blue waist apron tied around her waist, and her short brown hair that matched her brown eyes sticking to her face. Dirty from all the hard work day and night, many people still find her beautiful. She reminded them of the late Empress Kaname, who was once a commoner just like them. Every time she received that comment she just smiled and say, "You're kidding, Empress Kaname is elegant and beautiful in ways that I will never be." She, too, hopes that one day the heir will return and save them from this turmoil that the government caused.

One cold winter day, Mai left early to go to town. She had a feeling that something good will happen that day and she was excited. After adding another layer of battered clothing to keep her warm, she left in a hurry. The town was miles away, it takes her an hour of walking to get there. When she arrived, she went straight to her usual spot, which was near the Royal Family Fountain. She adore the statue of the Royal Family and can't help but wonder why did the soldiers had to kill them. 'They seem so nice' she thought as she waited for costumers. One thing that bugged her mind was the necklace around the duchess. It was hard to see since the weathering after all those years had taken it's toll on the statue. 'Poor kids' she thought again. A man wearing a black coat stood in front of her make-shift store. He stared down at her, examining her features. Mai noticed the man and looked at him. He had dark hair with deep dark blue eyes. His skin tone was very pale in contrast with his dark coat.

"Good morning, sir!" she smiled.

"Would you like some homegrown winter cabbages, parsnips, onions, garlic, broccoli, or leeks?" she added. The man just stood there, staring at the crops. He looked at her again and she looked back at him. Eye to eye, the man noticed something in her eyes. Her eyes wasn't just brown, there was some blue-ish and grey-ish streak on the iris. 'Interesting' he thought.

"Uhm, sir?" Mai said.

The said man looked away and said, "I'll buy everything." He handed her a pouch of golden coins. It was too much for all of her things but he insist on giving it all to her. She thanked him as she started putting the vegetables on the basket.

"May I ask your name, sit?" she asked.

The man looked at her and said, "Oliver." He then left with the basket full of vegetables, Mai standing there, watching him walk away.

"Oliver, what a strange name" she whispered. Mai remembered about the golden coins in her pocket and she squealed in delight. She hurried around the market to look for some good foods to cook for the children and the head mistress. 'I hope he'll be back tomorrow' she thought.

Her day ended with enthusiasm. The children were happy with the feast that Mai prepared them, the head mistress was proud of her. Mai couldn't ask for more. She's happy just seeing the children fill their stomach with delicious food. Hoping that it will be like that everyday.

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><p>So? How was it?<p>

Comments? Reviews? Suggestions? Ideas? Corrections? Please do so!


	2. Family Crest

So, I decided to just post chapter 2 instead of waiting until I finish my other story. So enjoy!

lalaloo: I have netflix and that's where I watched "Anastasia." It's actually just the second time I've seen it. The first was when I was little. I love the whole movie and the characters. I felt bad at the same time because they based on the real event where the real-life Anastasia actually died... :( Try looking for it online, I know it's streaming but sometimes that's what I do if I can't find a movie on netflix.

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><p>It was another beautiful day on the Eastern Nation. Though it was not warm, it was not cold as well. It was perfect. The bright sun shone through the partially covered window of the old orphanage, waking Mai up. For the last three days, the man named Oliver bought most of her vegetables, giving the orphanage enough money to fix the fireplace. Even though he visited, Mai never had a chance to talk to him. The man seems to be in a hurry every morning. After breakfast, Mai headed back to town. She was now wearing a new dress made by the children to thank her for her hard work. It looked like her old dress but the color was different. It was now a light pink dress partnered with her blue waist apron.<p>

As she walk down the path to town, she noticed a dozen of anti-imperial army soldiers standing in front of a rundown house. She hid behind a tree, putting her basket down and listened to the soldiers talk.

"Somebody has reported that your daughter is the missing child of the late Taniyama family" one of the soldiers said.

"No, it is not true, sir. My daughter is not the child" an old woman answered.

Mai watched silently as two soldiers dragged a brown haired girl, just about her age, out of the small house.

"Please, sir, I am not the heir of the throne" the girl begged.

One of the soldiers pointed his rifle at her, ready to kill.

"Please! My daughter is not the heir. You are mistaking, please don't kill her" the older woman begged. She was now on her knees, clutching the soldiers pants. The said soldier pushed her away and signaled the other soldier to fire his rifle.

Mai looked away when she heard the gun. She fell on her knees and listen to the woman cry. She heard the soldiers leave, heading to town. Mai waited for a couple of minutes before picking the basket full of vegetables and head to town. She didn't bother on looking at the old house, knowing that she'll cry at the possible scene. When she reached the town, she saw almost the whole town reading a poster near the fountain. As she neared the said location, she heard a couple of men talking.

"They are looking for the heir. But how will they find him"

"Or her. Remember, they had twins, a girl and boy"

"Yes, yes… But which one is alive?"

"Either one, I'd rather be dead if I were them. The government wants anyone with a royal blood living in the nation gone."

"That's why the other Taniyama's fled to the West."

"Yes. The brother of the late king is said to be living there, under the protection of the Royal Family Matsuzaki"

Mai looked at them as they leave before heading to the poster. Once she got there, the information was straight to the point.

'Anyone who a royal blood, it is required to inquire yourself at the city. Failure to do so will be given a punishment.

If you know someone who has a royal blood, we order you to inform the officials and you will be rewarded 500 gold coins.'

"500 gold coins" Mai whispered. She walked away, thinking about the information that she just read. 'Was it worth it to turn someone in?' she thought as she set up her make-shift stall. She arranged her vegetables and fruits on the stall and waited for costumers.

Just outside the town was man wearing a black coat and pants. He saw also saw the murder of the young girl on the rundown house. He knew that the government knew that one of the heir was alive. He mounted up on his black horse and rode to town. Once there, he met up with a man with a black hair that was cut that ended up covering his right eye.

"Oliver"

"Lin" Oliver replied. He hopped off his horse and tied it on a pole.

"Have you heard?" Lin asked.

"Yes, Lin. I've also took count on how many has been killed because of false accusation. The most recent one was just this morning outside of town." Oliver told Lin as they walk towards a small tavern.

Mai noticed Oliver with a man walk inside a small tavern. 'He's probably not buying anything today' she thought. By mid-day, Mai packed up her stall. She barely sold anything that day. Many people were inside their house, a few people dared to go outside where a whole army was waiting for anything. When she was about to go back to the orphanage, a soldier stopped her in her tracks. Mai looked up and saw the soldier staring down at her.

"My apologies, sir, but I'm in a hurry to go home" she excused. She moved to the side but the soldier blocked her.

"The name" he ordered.

"Mai, sir"

"Mai?"

"Yes" The man took hold of her face, examining it as if he sees something else in her.

"The last name"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I grew up with no last name"

The soldier threw to the ground, spilling the vegetables and fruits from the basket. A couple more soldiers came up behind the first one. They took some of the fruits and threw it at her.

"Commoner" one the soldiers said.

"She's below a commoner having no last name" the soldiers laughed as Mai stayed on the ground.

After the meeting with Lin, Oliver left the small tavern and saw the brown haired vendor on the ground. He also saw 3 soldiers throwing fruits at her. He walked towards the soldiers and ordered them to stop. The 3 soldiers stopped and left. Oliver looked at the poor girl and helped her up.

Mai felt no more fruits hitting her. She looked up and saw Oliver with his hand out. She took it and helped herself up. She cleaned her now fruit-stained dress. She frowned at the wasted vegetables and fruits on the ground. She sighed and picked up the basket. When she bent down to pick up the basket, her necklace felt out from the shirt that hid it from view. Oliver noticed it and saw a very familiar family crest.

"Thank you" she said and faced him with a smile.

'She didn't even cry' he thought.

"Well I have to go home, the other children are waiting for dinner" she bowed to him and started leaving. Oliver noticed how much fruits and vegetables were wasted. 'She must have had a hard day' he thought. He took his horse and mounted it to catch her.

He saw her by the wooden bridge near town and hurried his horse. Mai heard a horse behind her and when she turned around she saw Oliver riding it. She stopped on the side, making a way for him. Instead of continuing, he stopped in front of her. "Here" he said and gave her a medium pouch full silver coins. "It's not much but it should help" he said and left.

Mai looked at the pouch and back at the now retreating figure of Oliver. She smiled and continued back to the orphanage. She was happy that at least they'll have a decent dinner. When she turned on a 4 way road, she noticed a smoke not far ahead.

'The orphanage!' she thought and ran.

Just a few yards away from her so-called home, she heard guns being fired. She hurried and saw a group of soldiers pointing their rifle at the children. She was going to rush in for help but the mistress, who was now bleeding from the gun wound on her chest, saw her and shook her head. She hid behind an oak tree and tried not to cry. Not more than 5 minutes she heard the soldiers fired their gun. She gasped and took a peek at the scene. What she saw broke her heart. The innocent children that she cared for were now dead or bleeding to death. Tears found their ways down her cheeks as she tried not to cry out loud. The soldiers left, heading her way, she hid on the tree and heard them talking.

"The heir was not in there, we have been mislead"

"Yes, that is true, but our job is not done"

'The heir?' she thought.

Once the soldiers were out of her sight, she ran towards the mistress and helped her sit up. She was still alive, but Mai knew she's not going to make it. She took her apron and held it against the wound.

"Mai, run… Do… not…stay here…" the mistress said as she chocked on her own blood.

"B-but w-why? I have nowhere else to go" Mai answered.

"W-west… Uncle… necklace… proof…" the mistress limped and Mai cried.

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><p>Reviews?<p> 


	3. To the City

Here's the new chapter!

X New Girl X: In the movie, the orphanage didn't really burn down. Right after Anastasia left, the whereabouts of the orphanage where she came from was unknown. This is just my version, and like I said I based this on the movie. So if anything is kind a off it's just because I don't want to be like the movie. You know what I'm saying? lol.

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><p>Mai buried her murdered family near the burnt down orphanage. It took her all night to bury all of them. Once she was done, it was just after dawn. The sun was now shinning brightly at her. She looked at herself and noticed her bloodstained dress. She frowned at the sight, knowing that if she comes across anyone, they would think that she killed someone. She looked at the burnt building or what's left of it. Deciding to look for any surviving piece of clothing, she carefully examined the debris and burnt furniture. The only thing that she found was a pair of old boots, probably from the mistress. She took it and changed her now soaked flats to the old boots. Besides the boots, she didn't find anything else.<p>

She left the orphanage or what was once an orphanage to go to town to buy some clothes, lucky enough to not drop the pouch of silver coins in the snow. She walked down the side of the worn down path but she was close to the woods, a hiding place just in case someone comes by. When she arrived at the town gate, she saw a couple of soldiers, guarding it. 'How am I suppose to go in?' she thought. She then noticed a small hole through the wall. It was small her body will fit since she was skinny. She wiggled through her way on the hole and ended up on an alley.

Mai was now going from alley to alley to get to the clothing shop, just right next to the tavern. Once near the said shop, Mai noticed a figure on a white fur coat, with black hair. 'Oliver?' she thought. She shook her head and said, 'No, Oliver wears black.' When the man turned, Mai was shocked to find Oliver, or so she thought. The said man went inside the tavern, followed by the other man she saw the day before. Remembering her reason of why she was there, she continued to make her way to the clothing shop.

When she got inside, there weren't a lot of people buying clothes, just a good amount of them. She searched for something cheap that will at least give her comfort and warmth on a Winter's day. She found a dress, similar to hers but a little shorter and the fabric was thicker. The color, well she didn't like it since it was black, but she had no choice. It was the only thing that's cheap for her to buy. She changed her clothes and toss the old one and paid. She sighed and smiled in content when she felt a little bit cleaner. She still had some few silver coins left and she decided to save it for emergency.

She left the shop and headed to the fountain to think through things that happened the day before. The mistress wanted her to go to the Western lands, but why? Is it because of her uncle? How did the mistress know that she still had an uncle? What about her necklace? What's there to prove? All these questions ran through her head, she didn't even notice someone sitting next to her.

"You know, if you stare the snow a little bit longer it will melt" a voice said.

Mai was snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the side to see the man from before. She smiled at him but then sighed.

"There's just a lot of things going in my mind" she told the man.

"I bet" she heard him say.

"You know, Oliver, you barely talk to me when you buy my goods. Why now?" she asked and looked at the guy who was now standing on the fountain ledge, staring at the Taniyama statue. He looked at her confused then it seemed like something clicked inside him as he smiled. 'So, she met my brother' he thought.

"I'm sorry if I offend you when I do that" he said.

"It's not a big deal, besides not everyone talks to me" she answered honestly. The man gave her a confused look, question written all over his face.

"Well, I'm an orphan, was an orphan" she corrected, "I don't know my identity since I can't remember anything from my past. People think I'm a freak by that, someone who's below a commoner" she continued. The man sat right next to her, examining her face.

"My only family was the children from the orphanage and mistress but… but…" she couldn't finish her sentence as the horrific scene from the night before flashed through her mind.

"Oh" was all he said. Mai turned to him and smiled, reassuring him that she was alright. She stood up and faced the statue and smiled at them too.

"Why are you smiling at the statue?"

"Well, I don't really know but when I'm down and I don't know what else to do, I always find myself staring at the Royal Family statue. Then, for some reason, I feel better. As if they're watching over me, telling me that everything will be alright" she explained but giggled when she saw his confused look.

"Okay…" he answered, still confused.

"Well, I have to go, Oliver" she said and held her hand to him. He shook it and asked, "What for?"

"I have to get to the city soon"

"Oh, well I can accompany you. I'm from the city, I'm just here to look for my… someone" he said.

"No, it's alright. I don't want to be a burden" she said shaking her hands at him.

"If you say so, then I'll see you around?"

"Sure" Mai smiled. She walked towards the northern gate of the town and stopped. 'I don't even know how to get to the city' she thought. She looked back at the fountain and found the man pointing to the western gate.

"You don't even know how to get there" he commented. She walked back to him and asked, "Is the offer still available?"

"Sure!" 'Oliver' got his horse, but Mai looked confused when she saw a white horse instead of a black one, like the one from yesterday.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"N-no, nothing's wrong" she answered.

'Oliver' helped her mount the horse, she was on the front while he was on the back.

Together, they rode out of the town via the western gate, heading to the city. Thus, the adventure of Mai begins.

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><p>Is it really Oliver? or Eugene? Will she ever find out?<p>

Reviews? Comments? Corrections? Ideas? Please do so!


	4. The Clue

Hey guys! I know I haven't updated since last month and I'm so sorry for that. I've been busy studying for my classes but I hope this chapter makes up for that.

Enjoy!

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><p>After days of traveling, Mai and her companion arrived at a small village just a day and a half away from the city. They arrived at dusk and they were greeted by a group of angry farmers. They stopped just outside the gate and 'Oliver' dismounted. "Wait here" he told Mai and she nodded in reply.<p>

'Oliver' walked towards the group of farmers and he was greeted by shocked expressions. "Good evening" he said. An old woman came up to and examined his entire being. "Uhm…" Mai watched from a far as the scene unfolds. "Excuse me young lad…" the elder said. 'Oliver looked at the elder and nodded at her. "How is it that you are here when I have just tended your wounds not too long ago?" 'Oliver' looked confused and asked something to the elder. Mai saw the elder lead her friend towards a small hut near an old oak tree. She also noticed two of the farmers assist the horse and helped her dismount it. "Sorry for our hostilely" one of the men said. "Oh no, it's ok, sir" Mai smiled as she waved her hands in front of her.

'Oliver' entered the small hut and saw a man on a futon with a bandaged head. He knelt beside him and saw that it was… "Oliver…" he whispered. The elder knelt beside him and checked the bandages. "Do ye know the young lad, sir?" she asked. "Yes, I know him" he answered. "What happened?"

The elder stood up and started stirring the soup located near the corner. "We found him walking towards the village just yesterday. We believed he has been attacked by the soldiers from the city" the elder started. The young lad listened to the elder as he look towards the real Oliver. "He requested to keep his existence to be a secret before he lost consciousness…" she was cut off when Mai entered the hut and saw 'Oliver' kneeling right next to a man.

"Gomen… I was just looking for Oliver and the farmers lead me here" she apologized.

"No such thing, dear. Make yourself at home" the elder welcomed. Mai nodded and walked towards 'Oliver.' She gasped when she saw the face of the person on the futon. "Mai, I can explain"

"There's two of you?" she asked.

'Of all the questions to ask, she asked that one' the young lad thought.

"Oliver?" Mai asked.

"Well technically, he's Oliver" the lad pointed at the man on the futon. "I'm Eugene, his…"

"His evil twin brother!" Mai yelped.

Eugene almost laughed at her face but he tried to stop it.

"Yes and no" he answered.

"Yes, I am his twin and no, I'm not evil" he added.

"So I've been traveling with Eugene and not Oliver…?" Mai asked nobody.

"You look disappointed, Mai"

"Who wouldn't? I really thought you were Oliver but I had my doubts since you act different and you were nice and-"

"You like Oliver" Eugene butted in.

"Yes! I mean, no!" Mai answered, blushing.

"Gotcha!"

"Hey! You're so mean!"

"Tell that to him" Eugene motioned towards his brother.

Mai frowned when she noticed how bad Oliver looked. "What happened to him?" she asked. Eugene explained what happened with the help of the elder. Mai understood what they were saying and she decided that she'll stay until he gets better. Eugene was suspicious since he remembered that she was in a hurry to get to the city.

"You don't have to stay, Mai. The city is just a day and a half travel from here" Eugene said as they ate dinner around the small fire in the middle of the room. The elder left them to get back to her hut. "It's really fine, Eugene, I want to help" 'More like you want to spend more time with Oliver' Eugene thought with a smirk. "If you insist."

As the days passed by, Oliver's condition was getting better, courtesy to Mai's care. Both Eugene and Mai befriended the villagers. When Mai's not busy taking care of Oliver, she plays with the village children, teaching them how to catch fish in the river or sometimes helping with the elders. Eugene on the other hand helped the farmers harvest their winter crops and fix some new huts for a growing family. Before they knew it, they spent almost one month in the village. It prospered with their help, earning travelers to visit them and buy their goods. One fateful night will change everyone's life.

Mai and Eugene were eating dinner when Oliver moaned and stirred in his sleep. Mai was right to his side in a quick motion, waiting for him to wake up while Eugene went out to get the elder. Mai saw Oliver flutter his eyes and she smiled when she saw him staring at the ceiling. "W-where am I?" he asked rubbing his forehead. He looked around and saw Mai smiling down at him. "Mai?" She was about to answer him but Eugene arrived with the elder.

"Eu-Eugene?"

"You're finally up, Mai's been waiting for you" Eugene joked.

"I was not!" Mai poked him.

They watch the elder examine Oliver and when she was done she smiled at them. "The young lad seems to be alright, but I suggest for him to take it easy. His body might be too-" the elder sighed when she saw Oliver stand up.

"Hey! Sit down, you're still recovering" Mai told him.

"I can handle myself, thank you very much" Oliver snapped. Mai backed away from him, feeling hurt. Eugene noticed this and took action. "She's right, Noll. You might injure yourself if you don't listen." The felt the tension and left them alone. "What is she doing here anyway?" Noll asked.

"It's a long story" Eugene answered.

Mai handed Noll a bowl of stew and he took it aggressively.

"I-I'll be outside if you need anything" she said and left. Once she was outside, she heard the twins argued.

"Noll, I don't why you're so cold to her. What did she even do?"

"Nothing"

"Then-"

"Gene!"

"Alright, I'll stop but we have to-"

"She can travel by herself, Gene, she has two feet doesn't she?"

"But-"

"Is there any news on the princess?"

'Princess?' Mai thought.

"No, not even a clue but Mai could help us" Gene said. He looked at his brother who was trying to remember something.

"Noll?"

"She might indeed, bring her in"

Gene, confused as he is, followed what his younger brother told him to do. He stepped out of the hut and saw Mai staring at the stars close by. He walked towards and stopped a couple of feet behind.

"Noll wants to talk to you" he said.

"Alright" Mai answered. She stood up and brushed her skirt, Gene noticed a necklace hanging on her neck but he shrugged it off. He followed Mai to the hut. Once inside, all three of them huddled near the fire, there was a very awkward silence between them.

"Mai" Noll started. Mai looked up and waited.

"I believe you have something that might give us a clue about the whereabouts of the missing princess" Noll stated. Gene looked confused but he waited for them to continue.

"I… do?" Mai asked.

"That necklace of yours has the family crest on it" Noll continued.

Mai took out the necklace and on the center of it was a pendant or locket. "This?" she asked. She took it off and handed it to Noll. He, in return, examined it with Gene.

"Could it be, Noll?" Gene asked.

"Mai, this is the family crest of the Royal Family. Do you not know that?" Noll asked.

Mai just shook her head.

Noll gave it back to her to examine the symbol and she did.

In the middle was a big 'T' looking like that '][' with vines surrounding it. At the end of each vine were small emeralds, barely noticeable. Mai's eyes widened and she gasped. She looked at Noll and Gene then back to the pendant or locket.

"Did you steal it?" Noll asked.

"No, I would never steal a thing in my life" Mai answered.

"Then how did you possess such an important artifact?"

"I… I don't know. I've had this ever since I can-" before Mai could finish her sentence, they heard guns being fired outside. The three of them stood up and headed for the door.

"Stay here, Mai" Gene ordered, and she nodded.

More gunshots were heard, making Mai flinch.

Noll and Gene ran inside with a horrified look on their faces.

"What's go-" she didn't get to finish her sentence when she felt a bullet passed the side of her head.

Noll tackled her down, she saw Gene on the ground as well, covering his head from any debris.

"We have to get out of here" Gene stated.

Noll nodded and said, "Take her to the back door and I'll gather any things we need. Go straight to the forest and don't look back." Gene nodded and took Mai. They ran out of the back door and straight to the forest. Mai looked behind her and saw Noll exiting the same door. She noticed the soldiers firing at the villagers and the children being killed. 'No…' she thought. "Come on, Mai" she heard Gene. She saw Noll struggling with the equipments he was carrying, without thinking she ran to help him. "Mai!" she heard Gene called out.

Noll noticed the brown haired girl running towards him, 'Idiot' he thought. She took some of the bags that he was carrying and ran towards the forest just a few yards behind him. 'We're going to make it' she thought. Just before she entered the security of the forest, she suddenly felt pain on her back. She looked at Noll and Gene and saw their horrified look. She felt her knees buckle under her and the last thing she saw was the twins running towards her…

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><p>So? What do you think?<p>

Reviews? Comments? Suggestion? Corrections?


	5. Princess Mai

Here's the next chapter guys! I actually finished this before the Pacquiao fight. It's not as thrilling or interesting compared to the previous one but it will be some sort of prologue for the Royal Family's somewhat history.

Enjoy!

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><p>A soldier noticed the trio and headed towards them. Noll noticed the lone soldier and told Gene to get Mai out. Gene nodded and caught Mai before she fell on the ground. Gene carried her bridal style while the bags of food was behind his back. When he looked back, he saw Naru standing in front of the soldier. He ran to the woods, far enough from the village and put her down gently. He turned her over and found a small bullet wound. Once he pulled her blouse up, he saw that it was not as bad as he thought it was. The bullet was visible, easy to take out but his hands were not sterilized to get it. He'll infect it if he did that moment, increasing the chance of death for Mai. Instead, he ripped a part of his blood-stained white shirt and covered it. He waited for his brother to return before he continued.<p>

Noll stood in front of the lone soldier. 'Pathetic' he thought as he looked down at the opponent. The soldier was young, maybe around 15 or younger. The poor boy was shaking as he points his gun at Noll. He was about to walk away but the boy fired a warning shot. Noll turned back to him, pissed. He surprised the boy by advancing on him as quick as the bullet that the boy just fired. Noll took out a small dagger and held it against his throat. "You're a fool, kid. Go home" Noll said and hit the back of his head, knocking the young boy unconscious. He ran to the woods as quick as he can to avoid any more trouble.

He arrived at a small clearing with Gene and Mai. He told his brother to carry Mai and to follow him. They were on a hill, looking down at the small village. Sadness was written all over the twins' faces as they watch the village burn down. Noll left after a couple of minutes staring at the tragic village, Gene, carrying Mai, followed. They walked for a couple of hours before they arrived at a small hut near a stream. Noll signaled Gene to stay in the woods as he check the hut for any danger.

Gene watched his younger brother check the house cautiously, he felt Mai stirred and he held her closer to him. He then saw his brother signal for them to come in, obviously the hut was safe. Once inside, Gene saw Noll spread out a blanket for Mai. He gently put her down and watched his brother clean his hand.

"Noll, I think I should do it" he said.

"Gene, by the way your hands are shaking right now , you'll do more damage" Noll stated as he dried his hand. "Now, turn her over and take her so-called clothing off" he ordered. Gene nodded and did what he was told to do. While Gene was taking her blouse off, he noticed something on her back.

"Noll, I think you might want to see this"

Noll turned to him, having a confused look.

"Come here"

Noll knelt down next to Gene and when he saw what it was, his eyes widened in shock. On Mai's back, just below her left shoulder blade was a birthmark.

"It's a birthmark, Noll" Gene told his brother.

"it's not just a birthmark, if you paid as much attention as I did in class then you would know what kind of birthmark this is" Noll told his brother.

"Aren't you going to tell me?" Gene asked.

"Gene, it's a small crescent shaped birthmark-"

"Like a moon?"

"Not just a moon, see those 3 dots around it?"

"Yeah…"

"That symbolizes the 3 gems that symbolized the Royal Family"

"But the Taniyama Family only ruled these lands for 25 years"

"Gene, learn your history. Did you forget that the Taniyama Family has 3 clans?"

"Oh yeah! The one in the East, the North, and the South"

"Correct, and if you did not know, every first born daughter of each generation-"

"Has the family birthmark, so that means…"

"Yes, Gene, it is possible that this little idiot here is the heir"

"But Noll, how come she doesn't know?"

"We'll ask her when she comes around"

The worked on fixing Mai's injury throughout the night. It was not life and death situation but her wound almost caused to bleed to death when they took out the bullet. They thought that the bullet was small, but it was 3 inches long. Noll felt relieved when Gene stated that the bullet did not hit any major artery or organs, meaning she was safe.

Mai woke up with the bright sunlight shining down her face. She looked around and saw that she was in a small hut. She tried to sit up but she was greeted with pain on her back. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" a familiar voice said. She looked up and saw… "Oliver?" she asked.

"Gene will be back with food soon" he said as he gave her a cup of water.

"Thanks…"

Once again, she tried to sit up, this time she ignored the pain. She then noticed her state of undress. "You're really an idiot, aren't you," Noll commented. "Where's my shirt?"

Noll threw a white shirt to her and she put in as quick as she can.

"How long was I-"

"Just a day"

"Oh, okay" she wanted to ask about the village but she had a feeling that it will not be a good news.

Gene arrived with fishes and he smiled when he saw Mai sitting on the ground. "Mai!" Mai just smiled at him. Noll gave him an evil look and Gene frowned. "We'll be leaving for the city tomorrow" he said. Gene and Mai looked at him surprised.

"There's a ship that leaves for the Western lands in two days and Gene did mention that you needed to get there" Noll said as he look at Mai.

"Yes…" she muttered.

"Noll, she can't travel alone in the Western lands-"

"Once she's out of the city, she's in a safer place than any of us"

"But she's the-"

"The less she knows the better"

Mai looked at the twins, wanted to ask what it was that they were not telling her. "Uhm… Oliver?"

Noll looked at her and flinched. "Never mind."

The trio ate their food in awkward silence, Mai finished first and excused herself. She went outside and sat near the stream. She felt something on the pocket of the shirt, she took it out and saw that it was the necklace. She sighed and stared at it. "So this little locket has all the clues for the princess' whereabouts" she said to herself.

She examined it closer and saw a small opening on the edges. 'Could it be?' she thought. She tried opening the locket but she stopped when she felt a presence behind her.

"Breaking the necklace will not do anything"

"Oliver…" she muttered."Yes, that's my name"

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to spend time outside the clustered hut?"

"Jerk"

"Idiot"

Noll sat next to her and noticed how her fingers were positioned on the necklace.

"There's no point on doing that, it's just a pendant, not a locket"

"Whatever" she gave little push and the locket snapped open. Noll saw her grin and watch as she opened her fingers.

The so-called pendant was open. Mai looked closer and she gasped. Inside were two pictures. On the left side of the circular locket was the Royal Family picture and on the right was the picture of the missing princess. Noll looked at it and saw the resemblance of the young princess and Mai. "Uhmm…" Mai didn't know what to say. Her whole life, as she knows it, she's been wearing that necklace and even the head mistress told her to not lose it. "Oliver, am I the missing-"

"Don't flutter yourself, Mai, it's possible that you just found it"

"But-"

"Listen, forget about what you saw and just continue your life as if nothing happened. Once we get to the city, you'll be on board to the next ship the leaves for the Western land. Your family should be waiting for your arrival. As for this, you leave it to me and Gene. We'll take care of this problem" he said. He took the necklace and walked back to the hut. Once inside, he talked to his brother, not knowing that Mai was just outside.

"Gene, look at this" a seconds later "Is this-"

"Yes, it's possible that she's the missing princess but we can't tell her"

"Why not, Noll?"

"We'll put her in more danger and if we want monarchy back in this land we need her alive"

"But I doubt she'll go around announcing that she's the princess"

"Yes, but it's safer this way-"

Mai went inside and said, "So you'll just keep my identity from me?"

"Mai…" Gene whispered.

"It's not like I'll tell the whole world about it, you just don't understand how it feels not knowing where you came from" she said, tears running down her cheeks.

"Mai, understand this, if anyone finds out about this your life will be in dang-"

"Gene, just tell her everything. It's her life to throw away" Noll said and left.

Gene proceeded on telling her the whole story of the Taniyama Family, the Royal Family.

"It was about 10 years ago when trouble started but the Taniyama Family ruled this lands way before that. Your parents were the most loved ruler compared to the previous, after the Empress gave birth to twins, the people became happy and more hopeful than the past years. That was until a man named Urado was assigned to be the Emperor's counselor…" Gene started. Mai scooted closer to him and waited for him to continue…

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><p>So? Lol. What do you think?<p>

Next chapter will be about the family history so some people won't get confused or something.

Comments? Reviews? Suggestions? Corrections? Please do so!


	6. Urado

Hey guys! Here's a short chapter, a snipet of Mai's past.

Can't believe I did this first instead of my 6 pages essay due tomorrow that I haven't started yet.

Hope you like it!

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><p>Flashback:<p>

It was during Summer, right before the twins' 7th birthday, when the unfaithful man first stepped into their lands. The heirs were in town that day, they snuck out of the mansion.

"Miroku nii-chan, we're going to get in trouble if papa finds out about this" a girl with brown tied up into two ponytails whimpered.

"Maiyu-chan, what father don't know wont hurt him, besides our birthday, right?" The little girl nodded reply.

"We just want our presents early" the elder told this younger twin.

Both of them where in an alley, right across from the book shop that their father takes them yearly for their birthday presents.

"But people might see us and tell papa or mama" the girl whined. She then felt a piece of clothing thrown at her.

"What's this?" she asked as she examined a brown dirty rag that looked like some of cape.

"Our disguise…" Miroku smirked.

Once covered with the dirty rag, Miroku checked the street for any palace guards. Once clear he turned to his younger twin and said, "Here's the plan… I'll go first then I'll signal for you to follow, ok?"

"Ok" Maiyu answered.

She watched her brother cross the busy street with grace and nobody noticed him. She was surprised. He looked like a commoner. 'Wow' she thought. She then saw her brother waved for her, so, without thinking, she ran across the street. She heard her brother yelling something at her, he looked frantic, when she turned she the reason why.

A man wearing a black cape and hood riding a black horse was heading towards her. She fell on the ground and closed her eyes. She waited for the impact but felt nothing, she just heard the horse neighed and a loud thump indicating that the rider dismounted. She felt arms around her and she looked up to see her brother. "Miroku nii-chan…" she whispered.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah…"

There was shadow upon them, both children looked up and saw a man with black eyes staring down at them.

"You insolent fool!" he yelled. Both of them backed off, taken aback by his aggressiveness.

"Commoners are a disease in this world but children are worst" the man continued. He took a step towards and both children ran. They thought that they got rid of him but they were wrong. They felt someone grabbed the dirty rag that they were wearing and felt that they were being carried.

"You'll get punished and I'll see to it that you won't be running around once the emperor is done with you" the man smirked.

Maiyu struggled, trying to escape his clutch. Instead of landing on the ground, she felt herself fly. She landed hard with a loud thump and cried. Her brother struggled as he say mean thing to the guy. Maiyu felt being carried again, she didn't stop crying even after they reached the palace.

Upon entering the gate and walking towards the main door, the guy dropped the twins in front of the waiting rulers. He bowed his head in respect and said, "Your highness, these are the reason why a counselor is needed to be at your side." He looked at the whimpering children and smirked. "I am Urado from Sea Isle of the Western lands at your service"

Maiyu looked up and saw her mother looking at her and her brother. She saw her mother gasped and knelt down. "Miroku? Maiyu?" she asked. Maiyu just limped towards her, her ankle was injured from the fall. She cried hard while her brother just hugged their mother. Urado felt the intense gaze that Emperor Ryu was giving him.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

Urado bowed again, "Forgive me, your highness, but I thought they were-"

"Royalty or not, Urado, we treat everyone with respect. We, take note on this, don't hurt children, as well!" Ryu yelled. He then motioned his wife, children, a couple of servants to go inside and clean the twins. The emperor lead Urado in the library to discuss their business.

End of flashback

"So. Urado's the reason why my… my…" Mai stuttered.

"Yes and no" Gene answered her unasked question. Mai gave him a questioning look, she was about to ask something but Noll interrupted her when he came in.

"Explain the 'yes' and 'no'" he told Gene.

"Oh, ok. Well, yes he started the rebellion against your family but he was killed in the process" Gene started. "Then who?" Mai asked.

"The 'no' is because of a man who took Urado's position as the leader that man… well…"

"He killed your family with his own hands" Noll finished. Mai gasped.

"Noll, that was harsh" Gene argued.

"She has to know the truth one way or the other, sooner or later" Noll told his brother.

"It's alright, Gene" Mai smiled. Noll took out a parchment and started reading it. There was an awkward silence but something bothered Mai.

"Gene?" she asked.

Gene looked up and waited for her to finish.

"What's his name? The man who killed… my… my family" Mai asked.

"His name is-" Gene was cut off by Noll.

"Get to sleep, Mai. We're leaving early tomorrow" Noll said and left but not before giving Gene a look.

When Mai fell asleep, Gene followed Noll outside. He saw him sitting on the stream and decided to join him.

"What were you thinking?" Noll asked after he felt Gene's presence.

"What?" Gene asked as if he didn't know what Noll was talking about.

"You were going to tell her about our… about Akago" Noll stated.

"She has the right to know, Noll, we both know that"

"Yes, I know that. But you weren't thinking. You're starting to be like her" Noll told him with a small smirk on his face.

"I was, I swear" Gene told his younger brother.

"You were? Well, did you think about what could happen if Akago finds out about her identity? We both know that he'll kill her the fist chance he'll get" Noll explained.

"Ohhhh, I didn't get to that part yet" Gene said as he scratched his head.

"Yes, so make sure you don't tell her anything about our… about Akago" Noll advised as Gene left to go back to the small hut.

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><p>Who's Akago? Well you'll just have to wait a little longer. *Evil laugh*<p>

Next chapter will be a small scene between Mai and our lovable narcissistic jerk.

Comments? Reviews? Ideas? Corrections? Please do so!


	7. Stupid Fish

Hey guys! Sorry for the super late update! I've been busy for the past month or 2. So, I'll be posting two chapters to make that up. Here's the first one!

Hope you like it!

I'm sorry if it's too short for your liking!

And some characters might be OOC and I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!

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><p>When dawn breaks, the trio started their journey to the city, They traveled along the stream since it leads to the ocean where the dock for the ships are located. Mai was talking to Gene, telling him about her memories in the orphanage while Noll was behind them trying to read a parchment. When mid-day arrived, the trio decided to take a break and have lunch. Gene was assigned to find woods for fire and Mai to catch some fish while Noll… well he's still reading or so it seems.<p>

He watched Mai slip and fall on the knee deep stream, trying not to laugh at the sound of her voice and the look that she makes with her face. "Stupid fish, stay still" he heard. 'Just like how I remembered her' he thought.

Flashback:

It was a week after Urado first arrive at the palace. The twins, Miroku and Maiyu, were taking horseback riding lessons while the emperor attends some business and his wife to entertain some guests.

"Nii-chan" Maiyu called from her black stallion.

Miroku, who was done with his lessons, looked at her and waited for her reply.

"Why are you leaving early?" she asked.

"I'm done with my lessons, Maiyu-chan, and father wants to see me" he said and waved to her goodbye.

Maiyu sighed and continued her lesson with her sensei.

She finished just in time for lunch and after changing to a pink dress with ruffles, she walked down the grand staircase and found a boy reading a book. 'I've never seen him before' she thought. She curiously walked towards to him and when she was about to say something, she saw her mother.

"Maiyu-chan, I'm glad you're here" her mother started.

"We have guests in the palace and that young boy over there might need some company"

"Ok, okasan!"

"That's my girl, I'll see you at the dining hall shortly" her mother told her and left to attend some guests.

"Hi!" Maiyu greeted while standing in front of the boy.

The said boy lowered his book and stared at the her. He checked her out before he continued reading. Maiyu thought that he was rude, she then saw that he was reading a book about fishing.

"You know, I'm really good at catching fish, my nii-san taught me" she said.

"Oh yeah?" she heard him.

"Uh-huh"

The boy closed the book and stared at her. Somehow, he finds the girl to be really cute for her age. Short brown hair tied up into two ponytails on the side of her head, long eyelashes, pinkish lips, and a pair of big brown eyes.

"Care to show me how it's done?" he said.

Mai didn't answer since she was mesmerized by the boy's features. Sure he has a pale skin and seems arrogant but his dark short messy hair seems to compliment his complexion and his dark blue eyes does the same. Mai noticed him staring at her and she blushed a little bit. "I'm sorry" she muttered.

"Well, are you going to show me how it's done? If not then you can leave me alone with my book" he said.

"I'll show you, come follow me to the pond" she told him, 'I can't even catch a butterfly so how am I going to do this?' she thought.

When they arrived at the pond, Mai took off her pink dress and threw it at nearby rock. She was left with a white long-sleeved shirt and pink shorts. The boy watch her closely as she went in the water. She rolled up her sleeves and waited for the koi fish to come near her. When the fish was right in front of her, she jumped and tried to grab it with her bare hands. She ended up doing a half-belly flop as she slip and fall in the water with a small yelp. She tried numerous times and ended up the same. "Stupid fish, stay still" she ordered. The boy who was now sitting by the rock tried to suppress his laughter as he watch the girl make a fool of herself.

"Ok, I give up! I can't and don't know how to catch a fish…" she admitted in defeat. She got out of the pond and sat near him. "You're such an idiot for trying" she heard him. "Hey! I'm not an idiot! I'm Maiyu princess of the-"

"Mai" he interrupted.

"W-what?"

"I'll call you 'Mai'" he informed her as he stood up.

"B-but…"

"Noll"

"What?"

"My name is Noll" he helped her stand up as he watch her stare at him in disbelief.

"Are you getting dress or not? If I'm not mistaking, your mother informed you to be at the dinning hall shortly" he said, emphasizing on the word 'shortly.' Maiyu's eyes widened and hurried to put on her dress.

End of flashback.

Noll smiled at the memory he once shared with the princess, he didn't even notice his brother come up behind him, carrying some woods.

"I'm guessing that Mai entertained you for the time being" Gene said.

Noll didn't reply, he just continued watching the brown haired girl make a fool of herself.

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><p>So? How was it?<p>

Comments? Reviews? Suggestions? Ideas? Corrections? Please do so!


	8. We're Not Going With You

Yo! Here's the next chapter. It's a little short since I'm planning to post another one this week.

Hope it satisfy you!

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><p>They arrived at the city the night they left the hut. Mai was shocked when she saw that the city she once imagine to be beautiful and colorful is dirty and dark. Noll looked at her expression and saw confusion. He saw Gene talk to a man by a small tavern. Mai looked at Noll who was checking the surroundings for something.<p>

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Oh! Uh nothing's wrong" she lied. Noll looked at her and coward in defeat.

"Well, you see, I expected the city to be beautiful and colorful, you know. See happy people, not this" she explained.

"Well, Mai, the city used to be like how you describe it"

"But?"

"You know what happened"

"Oh…"

Mai looked around and noticed how the people passing them seems to be angry at something or someone. They were suffering. She then remembered Noll telling her that the city wasn't like this. 'The man who killed my family is the reason for this' she thought. She saw Gene talking to his twin with a serious look on his face. 'Wonder what's wrong.'

Noll and Gene came up to her with a serious face. Noll looking serious is understandable since he's always serious but Gene? Gene cleared his throat and said, "We need documentations to get in the ship or the train."

"To correct that, you need documentation" Noll corrected as he emphasized the word 'you.'

"But how about you two? Aren't you going?" she asked. Gene looked away, deciding that his brother should answer the question.

"No" Noll bluntly answered.

"No?"

"Are you deaf?"

"Hey! Be nice to her" Gene smacked his brother on the head.

"I'm sorry for Noll, we can't come with you, Mai. We have other business to take care of in this lands before we can head to the Western Lands" Gene explained.

"Well, maybe I can help you guys! I mean I helped Noll with his health and-"

"What don't you understand, Mai? Gene just explained to you the reason why we can't go. Now, why would you want to help us when the opportunity of you reuniting with your family is right in front of you? Are you dumb or just plain annoying so you could attract someone's attention?" Noll said in a cold voice.

Mai was shocked at his words. Instead of arguing with him, she ran down the busy streets of the city. Gene was going to run after her but Noll stopped him.

"Let her go, Eugene"

"Let her go? Let her go! Oliver Davis, did you even hear what you told her?"

"Yes, Eugene, I'm not deaf. I did that on purpose to get her off our back" Noll explained.

"But she's-"

"Yes, I know."

"And you're letting her-"

"It's safer this way, Eugene. If the soldiers find us with her, they'll know that she's the one. So it's better this way" Noll said and turned to leave. Gene looked down the street where Mai disappeared not so long ago before following his brother.

With Mai…

She ran continuously until her legs gave out on her. She fell on a puddle of mud as tears run down her cheeks. 'Am I really that annoying? I just wanted to help them out' she thought. People were looking at her but she was lost in her thoughts to even notice them or the group of soldiers approaching her. 'I know Noll is cold but I didn't know that he's that-' her thought was interrupted by a dark, low voice.

"Well, what do we have here?" the voice said.

Mai then noticed a tall man wearing the army suit with a couple of his fellow soldiers behind him.

"I'm s-sorry" she apologized as she got up and moved to the side. The said man grabbed her arm roughly and pushed to the other soldiers who willingly caught her.

"I think we have our entertainment for tonight boys. Let's head back to camp" the man said.

"Wait! Please don't!" Mai begged as she was dragged down the streets by two strong soldiers. She tried yanking her arms away but to no avail. "Help! Please somebody help me!" she screamed. The people around didn't bother since they know that interfering with the soldiers will result to death. "Please…" she cried. 'Noll, help…' she thought.

With the twins…

Both of them were walking towards the train station with their fake documentations in hand.

"I'm glad you know someone in the city who can make us these" Gene said as he gestured to the documentations in his hand.

"You owe me for that, it's expensive to fake these kinds of pap-" before Noll could finish, he heard Mai's voice in his head. 'Noll, help…' Gene noticed his brother's blank stare at the horizon and knew something was wrong. Without a warning, Noll shoved his documentations to his brother's chest before running down the street with a great speed.

'Mai, where are you?'

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><p>So...? What do you think? Am I being to harsh on Mai? I know they seem to be a little bit OOC but it'll get better on the next one!<p>

Reviews? Comments? Corrections? Ideas? Suggestions? Please do so!


	9. Captured

Hey guys!

Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it and please don't kill me!

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><p>Mai struggled as hard as she could but the soldiers were far too strong for the likes of her. Mai noticed that they were heading to the forest, she turned back and saw the city disappearing in her sight. She struggled even more and started yelling for help.<p>

"Someone! Please help me!" she yelled. She was met by a hard punch on her abdomen, making her crunch in pain.

"If you don't shut your mouth, you will receive worst than that" the leader scolded.

"O-of course… you'll… you'll use force to… to get what you want" she muttered.

"Insolent bitch!" she was slapped hard, losing her consciousness. Her last thoughts were, 'Oliver…'

Oliver ran down the streets, checked every alley, and asked every person, well some. Even with all his work, there was still no sign of Mai. While he was running, he heard two old women talking about something suspicious.

"Poor lad, she should've run when she had the chance" one of them told the other.

"She should've known that the soldiers were coming today" the other replied.

Oliver stopped and walked towards them.

"Excuse me, are you talking about a brown haired girl about this tall and weighs about 115 lbs?" he asked.

"Yes, the description fit the unfortunate lad"

"Do you know where they took her?"

"Most likely in the forest, they camp their every time they visit"

With a nod, Oliver ran to the forest all by himself.

Meanwhile…

"To think he's supposed to be the smart one…" Gene sighed as he walk down the street of the city. "Running off like that without an explanation, making me contact Lin to cancel the meeting tomorrow…" When he turned the corner he saw a flash of black hair and black shirt running towards the exit of the city. "Noll?" He dumped all of the fake documents in some trash and followed the running man. After making sure that it was Noll, he called for him. "Noll!"

The said man turned when he heard his name being called and saw his brother running after him. "I can't, not right now, Gene" he answered. When Gene caught up with him he stopped in front and asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Mai's in trouble, Gene, we have to find her" he plainly answered and started running again. Gene stood there, taking in what he said. 'Mai's in trouble' Mai, trouble? Those two words doesn't sound good together. Realizing that Noll is almost at the forest, he hurried and followed him.

Soldier campsite…

Mai woke up after she was thrown against a tree. She opened her eyes and found a bonfire in the middle surrounded by poorly assembled tents for the soldiers. She also found that her limbs were tied, making her unable to move.

"Look, missy is wide awake now" she heard. In less than a minute soldiers gathered around her as if she's some kind of prey and they were the hungry predators.

"Can we talk about this? I mean… I'm not even pretty or beautiful… It's just going to be a waste of you're time. And… and… I'm… I… uh…my body's underdeveloped" she said, trying to reason with the lust-hungry soldiers.

"Who cares, you're here and it's going to be a bother for us to get another one" one of them said.

"Besides, nobody's looking for you anyway" another told her.

'He's right… Nobody's looking for me since I don't have any family and the people who I consider to be friends are gone' she thought.

The leader grabbed her and pushed her towards another soldier, ripping her clothes in the process. For what seems like an eternity of being shoved from and to another soldier they finally stopped. The leader was gripping her bare arms roughly, making her wince. Her dress was torn apart, barely covering any of her private parts. She wasn't crying, she didn't even make a sound but her eyes were dull as if her life's been taken away from her. "Super time!" the leader announced before pushing her on the ground and getting on top of her. He carelessly moved her hands away, revealing her bruised, pale, delicate skin.

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><p>Poor Mai... Where are Noll and Gene? Will they arrive in time?<p>

Oh yeah, it's not going to be a rated M so don't expect anything that's too sexual.

Review? Comments? Ideas? Corrections? Suggestions? Please do so! Oh and don't hesitate to send me a private message if you have any questions!

And if you guys request a story please do so and leave out what you want in that story!

Ok, I'll stop now. I talk to much!


	10. Rescued

Here's the next chapter! Next chapter will be up probably by Sunday if not Monday before my classes starts on Tuesday.

Enjoy!

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><p>Noll and Gene ran through the thick forest and they almost made the soldiers noticed their location. They planned on how to attack the two dozen soldiers playing with Mai. They both know that the two of them won't stand a chance against the built men. "What are we going to do?" Gene whispered. Noll didn't answer, he slowly sneaked around the campsite, taking the guns from the each tents. Gene did the same. Ever so slowly, they gathered all the guns and repositioned them at random trees. As they were organizing the guns, they tried not to attack the soldiers when they started ripping her clothes of and pushing her around. Once they were done, Noll whispered to Gene what their plan was. "Noll, I can shoot, you don't have to worry about that. Just worry about Mai" Gene told his brother. Noll just nodded as a reply. They took their position, Gene being on the northern from the camp while Noll was in the east. They took aim as the leader pushed Mai on the dirty forest floor. Inhale… Exhale… then…<p>

The soldiers were getting ready to take their turns once the leader was done with the lad. They didn't even notice any movement around the campsite and before they knew it one of the soldiers was shot in the head. Another one fell down, blood coming out of his forehead. The soldiers tried to pinpoint where the shooter was but it was difficult for them to see. Not only that the sun has set, it seems to them that they were surrounded.

After Noll fired the first shot, he moved on to the next gun swiftly located about ten yards to his left. He heard Gene fired the gun and sure enough the two soldiers were down. He wanted to laugh seeing how the soldiers looked. They were terrified and panicking. He even heard one of them telling the leader that the guns were gone. The twins made their way around the campsite, killing each soldier leaving the leader and Mai. The said leader took Mai as a hostage, his arm wrapped around her shoulder while the other was holding a dagger against her neck. Mai wasn't doing anything, she didn't even processed that the soldiers were dead except for the one holding her.

"Who are you? Get out! Don't try anything funny or she'll get it!" the leader warned.

Noll stepped out of the shadows of the trees, Gene stayed behind, pointing the last gun on the leaders forehead behind a bush. Noll casually walked towards the leader and Mai, stopping a few yards away. He noticed that Mai was covered in bruises and her clothing is almost nothing. But the only thing that disturbed him was the emptiness of her eyes.

"Let her go" he said coldly.

The leader snickered, "Or what? You can't do anything now since her life is in my hands"

"Is it?" Noll mocked, "One false move and you'll get it. I have a gunner hidden somewhere right now ready to blow up your head."

"Oh yeah? If I die, she dies as well"

Gene watched as the leader put Mai in front of him, 'Smart move but I can still shoot you' he thought. He noticed that his brother was getting impatient and knew that if he had the chance he better take it.

"If you kill me you'll have to answer to the Western lord" Noll lied.

"Bullshit!"

"Oh? The new treaty did say that Eastern people cannot kill anyone from the Western Lands and same goes for us" he lied again.

"There's no such thing!" the leader looked at Noll intently and seemed to recognize him. "You! You're Davis, Oliver!"

"Indeed I am"

"You're wanted for attempted murder of our king! Death penal-" the heard a shot and then nothing.

Gene watch as the leader argued with Noll, he was getting bored and just wanted to shoot the guy already. When he heard that his brother was wanted he took aim and steadied himself. He saw that guy lowered his guard and he took that chance to shoot. The bullet went past Noll's right ear by a foot but Mai's head by inches. He almost shouted in victory but instead he ran towards Mai when he saw his brother ran for her as well.

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><p>So? What do you think?<p>

Reviews? Comments? Suggestions? Corrections? Ideas? Please do so!


	11. I Think I'm In Love

So sorry for the late update! But here's a longer chapter than the previous one. I hope you guys like it!

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><p>Mai woke up after hearing someone talking in the background. 'I know that voice' she thought. She wanted to open her eyes but at the same time she didn't want to. 'What if I'm dreaming? What if I'm already dead?' she thought once again. She then heard another person talking joined by another one. She knows two of the voices but the other one sounded older and colder. She waited a few more minutes, wanting to hear what they were talking about.<p>

"She's been asleep for almost a week now, Noll. Something's wrong with her" Gene informed his younger brother. Noll, who was currently reading something didn't bother answering him. "Oliver, are you even listening to me?" Gene asked. He earned a slight nod and he sighed in defeat. "We arrived too late, Noll, maybe if you weren't rude to her then maybe she wouldn't be in this position" Gene told his brother, who is now getting impatient. "Look, I know you're worried about our little princess here but she is fine. Lin told you that she only suffered minor injuries" Noll told him. A man entered with a letter on his hand, he was wearing a white button down shirt with black trousers. His hair was black, covering half of his face. "Oliver, I've received a message from your father" he said. "Lin!" Gene chimed. "How's Mai doing?" he asked. "Mai-san is alright, Eugene, she needs to rest" the informed the older brother. Before Gene could answer, they heard a small groan coming from Mai. "She's waking up!" Gene almost yelled.

Mai opened her heavy eyelids and she immediately closed them when she was blinded by the sunlight coming from a window nearby. She opened them again, this time taking precautions. She was greeted by a warm smile from Gene who was towering over her. She noticed Noll right next to him who, as usual, have his cold look. Behind them was a tall man who she remembered seeing in her hometown once. "Mai! You're awake!" Gene said. "No need to state the obvious, Gene" Noll told him. "How are you feeling, Mai?" Noll asked, beating Gene to the question. "I feel… sore" she muttered and tried to swallow but found that her lips were drying and so were her throat. Gene went outside to fetch her a glass of water while Noll and Lin helped her sit up. "This is Lin" Noll told her, introducing the tall man beside him. "Mmm, I've seen him before" she smiled. "Really?" Lin asked, no hint of any emotion in his voice. Mai nodded. Gene arrived with a glass of water and helped her drink it. He set it down on a small table nearby before sitting next to her. "Once, in a small town miles from the city. You were there to meet Noll" she said. "Ah, of course" Lin replied. After checking Mai's vital signs, he left Noll and Gene with the girl.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in Lin's house" Gene informed as he brush Mai's hair away from her face.

"Where exactly is that?" she asked again.

"On a small island near the Eastern Lands" Gene answered.

Noll was now on a chair, reading the letter, trying to ignore the small chit-chat the two were making.

"The Mirage Island?" she asked again, Gene nodded.

"I heard this place is beautiful" she said, imagining what kind of beauty a small island possess.

"Well, it was" Gene answered.

"Huh?"

"You see, there are soldiers stationed in the island, both from the West and the East. There's a small war going on here, but not here-here of course. A few miles away is the battlefield, it was once called The Valley of Tulips but it's The Valley of the Dead now" he said. Before Gene could continue explaining, Noll interrupted.

"We have to head to the Western Lands as soon as possible" he informed the two. "Already?" Gene asked.

"Father sent a letter informing us that we have to get there before the West and the East go to war"

"But aren't they already in war?"" I meant the big war, Gene"

"Oh, well we can't travel now, Mai's just recovering"

"It's alright, Gene, I can manage" she smiled. "When are we leaving?" she asked.

"Tomorrow"

When sunrise broke, the trio fled the safe haven, leaving Lin behind. The headed to the docks and boarded the last ferry to the West. Once inside the ferry, Mai wondered how they got the tickets and documentation in less than 24 hours. Their room is even first class. 'They must be rich' she thought as she wondered around the big sleeping quarters for them. The bed was big enough to fit 5 people and the covers were satin, they were two of them. The furniture were made by some expensive tree only found in the South and Marbles from the North. The bathroom was big as well. She plopped down on the bed and stared at the well decorated ceiling. Gene and Noll left not long ago to get some food and gather information from other passengers. She was bored and there was nothing to do. She then noticed a long curtain on the other side of the room, across from the main door. She peered through it and saw a balcony. She opened it stared at the beauty of the ocean. Birds were flying from the distant and she saw the sun rising to it's peak. She looked at the locket on her neck and thought about the only living relative has. 'What if he doesn't recognize me? What if he doesn't take me in? I don't have proof that I am the real daughter of the deceased Taniyama couple except for this locket' she thought.

It was in the afternoon when the trio decided to go to the deck. Noll, as always, was reading something while Gene was teaching Mai some self defense. In the beginning, Mai was afraid to hit Gene or even learn some techniques, but after she remembered the incident not long ago she was determined to learn as much as she can to protect herself.

"Okay, Mai, you're punches are improving but your legs are a little wobbly and unstable. Make sure you have one foot on the back, like you're standing side ways, like a boxer" Gene said as he helped her get in position. "Ok, now, make sure your weaker hand is always up, ready to protect your head just in case someone wants to punch you" he told her as he raised her weaker hand, left, to her fist, inches away. "And your right hand on the side, ready to punch" he said as he placed her right arm on the side. Eugene taught her some basic punching strategies and kicking as well. In less than an hour, Mai and Eugene were in sparring mode. Of course, Gene was being easy on her but Mai still find it difficult.

"Remember, Mai, don't get distracted by anything and never avert your eyes from the opponent" Gene informed Mai, who was now on the floor panting heavily.

"Maybe if you stop smirking then I wouldn't be distracted!" Mai told him as she got up and took her stance.

"Oh, so no smiles? I can't do that. I always smile. How about you take on Noll" Gene smirked.

"Noll?"

"Yes, he's very good at martial arts if I must say" he said.

Noll was enjoying himself on the chair reading a book when his brother stood over him. "What?" he asked, not looking away from his book.

"Mai needs a serious sparring partner"

"Then be serious"

"Come on, Noll!"

"I am busy"

"I can see that bu-"

"Good, I thought you lost your eyesight"

"Please Noll! It's for sake"

Noll sighed, knowing his brother he knows that he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants and in this case, be Mai's sparring partner.

"Alright"

Gene jump in delight and gave Mai a smirk.

Noll took off his black jacket and folded the sleeves of his dark shirt and readied himself. He noticed Mai's expression, she was scared, but only because it was Noll and his seriousness. "Alright, on three" Gene said. He counted down, "3... 2... 1... Go!"

Noll ran up to Mai, ready to strike. Mai backed away from him, almost tripping. "Woah!" she yelped. Noll missed just inches from her face, he noticed her running from him. Without wasting time, he grabbed her shirt and flung her back on the ground.

"Imagine, I was the soldier, Mai" Noll said.

Mai trembled underneath him and her determination grew. She swung her legs and tripped Noll over. She stood up and got ready. She saw Noll smirked when he fell and knew that this was going to be a good spar. Gene watch the two throw punches and kicks at each other, Mai was quicker than Noll, giving her the chance to avoid some hard punches. Gene knew that Noll was going easy on her, easy in a sense of a black belt level in taekwondo. "Noll, take it easy on her" Gene yelled but doubted that Noll heard him.

Mai dodged one of Noll's punches and she leg swept him. He fell hard on his back and Mai towered over her. "Game over" she said and turned away from him. Gene saw Noll smirked and knew he was up to something. Noll saw that Mai was still near his feet and decided that he's not going to get beaten by some beginner. So he tripped her and he in turn got top of her, pinning both of her hands above her head and trapping her legs. Their faces were less than 2 inches apart and both were staring at each other's eyes. Mai was panting and so was Noll. Both were mesmerized and they almost forgot that Gene was there. "Ehem" Gene fake coughed. Mai and Noll snapped from their small daydream. "Don't let your guard down" he said before he withdrew from the now blushing Mai. She was on the floor for about 20 seconds staring at the now darkening sky.

"You alright?" Gene asked as he stood above her.

"Yeah… I actually… feel great" she said in between her pants.

"Looks like it, come on, it's time for dinner" he gave her a hand and helped her stand up. She looked around and saw Noll waiting for them by the door. Gene followed Noll while Mai stared at Noll for a second and smiled. 'I think I'm in love' she thought to herself and smiled.

"Smiling doesn't help fill your stomach, Mai" Noll smirked. Just on cue, Mai's stomach grumbled and she sweat dropped. "I'm coming, Mr. I'm-so-good-at-everything!" she yelled at him and jogged towards the twins.

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><p>Awww, Mai's in love with our narcissistic jerk.<p>

So, the dancing scene in the _Anastasia_ movie became a sparring scene here. I hope it's good.

Reviews? Comments? Ideas? Corrections? Suggestions? Please do so!

OHHHH!

A one-shot song fic will be up in a few. The title will be _Someone Like You._


	12. Leaving Gene Behind

Sorry for the super late update! I've been busy with all my classes. Who knew taking General Chemistry is a pain in the butt. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

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><p>The ship for the Western Land stopped at a dock on a small island. Oliver knew that there was going to be trouble. It was mid-day and everyone was having lunch, except for Oliver. He was out on the deck when he noticed a group of soldiers holding a poster and asking some passengers. He hurried to the dining room and quickly grabbed Mai's arm and his brother's. "Ow! What's the big idea?" Mai shouted at him. "Be quiet!" Oliver snapped. He took them to their room and locked the door.<p>

"What's wrong, Noll?" Gene asked.

"We stopped at a small island and there are soldiers with our posters" he informed them.

"Stupid soldiers, I was having a good lunch" Mai whined.

"If you're hungry, go ahead, Mai. Risk your life for some food" Oliver snapped at her. Mai gave him a dirty look before going to her bed and under the covers. She decided to let the twins to come up with a plan since she knew that Noll would consider her idea, if she has any, to be stupid. She heard them formulating a plan and knew that they have something in mind. She then heard the door open and closed. She sat up from the cover and saw one of the twin by the door.

"Gene went out to distract the soldiers" Noll informed her.

"What? Isn't that dangerous? Why would you let your brother do that?" Mai furiously asked him.

"It's because it's his plan and his plan always work. Trust him on this one"

"You two are so reckless" Mai stated.

"And you're not?"

After a few minutes, Mai was getting worried, Gene hasn't returned yet. They then heard gunshots going off the ship and Mai instantly knew that something was wrong. Without thinking, she ran out the door, not caring that Noll was calling for her, telling her to get back inside. She ran down the hallway and when she turned to a corner, she saw Gene holding a gun. She also noticed a group of soldiers heading towards them. "Gene!" she called out.

Gene turned and his eyes widened, "Mai? Mai! Get out of here! Now!"

Oliver cursed Mai in his head as he ran after the petite girl. He heard his brother telling Mai to get out of there followed by a couple of gunshots. He turned around a corner and saw Mai ducking the bullets. His brother covered Mai as they ran for cover. "Gene!" Noll called. Gene and Mai turned towards Noll and followed him. They ran down numerous hallways before entering a random suite. The trio panted as they leaned against the now locked door. "Why… did you… let her leave?" Gene asked in between pants. "She just ran out, who knew she was fast" Noll answered. They heard the soldiers talking in the hallway and they quickly shut their mouths.

"They're here somewhere" a soldier said.

"They won't be able to go far, we have someone by the exit"

They heard the soldiers leave and they all exhaled a breath they've been holding. Mai turned to the twins and saw Noll bleeding. "Noll, you're bleeding!" she said a little loud. Gene covered her mouth his hand because of her loud voice. "Thanks for stating the obvious, Mai" Noll answered. He carefully took off his black button down shirt and saw a bullet grazed by his arm. "Here, let me fix it." Mai said as she went to the bathroom and wet a towel before ripping a long strip of cloth from her peach dress. Noll was now sitting on a chair with Mai by his side, cleaning the wound. Gene was by the door, checking the hallway. "Be careful" Noll said as he seethed in pain. "Well, I'm sorry but I have to clean it or it'll get infected" Mai retorted. After tying the torn strip of cloth in Noll's wound, the trio got ready to sneak back to their room.

Carefully, they made their way down the hallway, stopping at each corner, having Gene to check the other hallways for soldiers. When they were just a hallway from their room, a soldier appeared in the far corner. 'Shit' they trio mentally cursed. "Hey! You! Stop!" the soldier yelled as they pointed their gun to them. "Run!" Mai yelled. They ran to the opposite direction as the soldier fired at them while calling the other soldiers.

They ended up jumping in the water near the loading dock. The soldiers continued firing even in the water. Mai saw the twin under the dock so she swam there as well for cover. They stayed there for more than 15 minutes, letting the soldiers passed the dock in search of them. They heard one of the worker from the ship that they will leave in 5 minutes. Mai turned to the twins and saw them talking to each other.

"Yes, be careful" Noll said. Gene nodded in reply.

"What is he going to do?" Mai asked.

Gene looked at Mai and said, "It's better if we don't tell you. You'll figure it out soon."

Mai didn't like whatever they were planning. Somehow, she knew that there's something that's going to happen that she'll be mad about. But she trusted their instincts, that's the reason why she's alive right now to begin with.

Carefully, Gene swam out of the cover of the dock and to the shore. He saw a dozen of barrels nearby and ran there. He checked the surroundings and saw the soldiers looking around and guarding their posts. He leaned against the barrel and saw Mai and Noll near the shore, waiting for his signal. Mai was holding on to Noll's hand, but neither of them noticed. Gene stood up and threw a shell at one of the soldier.

"What?" the soldier turned and saw Gene.

"Looking for me?" he mocked.

The other soldiers turned and saw him, before they could get their gun ready, Gene ran to the nearby small town, not even looking back.

Noll saw the opportunity to go back to the ship when the soldiers gave chase to his older brother. He pulled Mai with him, running up the plank, straight to their room, and locked the door. Both of them were panting, but they were still holding hands. Mai's head snapped up and looked around. "Where's Gene?" she asked. Noll didn't answer. "Where is he?" she asked again. "That was the plan" Noll stated as he walked near the balcony. "Plan? What plan?"

"Gene decided to lead the soldiers away from the ship so we could get in and get to the West as soon as possible" Noll explained. "He has 5 minutes, Noll. If he doesn't come back, he'll be left behind" Mai informed him. "That's also part of the plan."

"What?"

"Mai, Gene is more than capable of taking care of more than 20 soldiers by himself. He's a fighter and he's smart enough to get rid of them before they catch him."

"But…"

Noll sat on the bed and asked Mai to sit right next to him. "He'll be fine" he stated. Noll knows his brother well, and he knew that Gene will be safe. Mai rested her head on his left shoulder, sighing as she relaxed her body. Noll was about to protest, telling her that he's not a pillow but when he turned, he saw her peaceful, tired face. 'She fell asleep' he thought. Carefully, he laid both of them in the bed and he also drifted off to sleep when he felt the ship moving back to the sea.

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><p>Gene's all alone in the island. Will he survive against those soldiers?<p>

Reviews?


	13. Meeting Uncle and His Family

Hey guys! What's up? I was going to post this up when Spring Break started last Friday but I found myself studying for my Chemistry exam this coming Tuesday right after Spring break.

Enjoy!

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><p>Mai woke up and felt something warm beside her. She stirred and looked around and remembered what happened, 'Gene!' she thought. She tried to stand up and but something stopped her from doing so. She turned to her right and saw Noll's face sleeping peacefully just inches away from hers and noticed that her waist was wrapped with his arms. She felt her face heat up and knew that she's blushing deeply. 'Relax, Mai' she thought to herself. She tried to wiggle herself out but he just pulled her closer to his chest. 'Whaat! What am I suppose to do?' she thought again. She tried it again but the result was the same. She sighed in defeat and relaxed herself. She heard her stomach grumbled, reminding her she hadn't eaten anything since the escapade the day before. She tried to move again but she stayed in the same place.<p>

"Stop moving" she heard. She turned to face the man beside her and found his eyes closed. She sighed again. "That's the second time" she heard him again. "Well, I'm hungry and I'm stuck" she told him and tried to wiggle out, again. She heard him sigh and felt the weight on her waist lifted. She felt him sit up and stretched his shoulders. She sat up, also, and cracked her neck. "I'll take the lavatory first" she announced and gathered her things. She made her way to the lavatory with her clothes and washed herself. Oliver plopped down on the bed again, thinking about his older brother. 'He's capable of taking care of himself' he thought. "Yes, he's capable of that but he's as much as an idiot as that girl" he muttered. He closed his eyes and had a short nap.

Mai felt refreshed after the long bath that she took. She looked at the clothes she has with her and found that she didn't buy those. She held it up in front of herself and studied the dress. It was a knee-length with the shade of baby blue. It was made of silk and it felt soft in her delicate fingers. The neckline was scooped down, showing her collarbone a little bit. There was a white sash on the waist line that tied around to make a ribbon on the lower back. 'How did I get this?' she thought. She then remembered how Gene went shopping once and brought back a lot of things. She looked by the small table and noticed a pair of white sandals. 'Gene!' she thought. She sighed and took a look at herself in the foggy mirror. "It's either these or nothing" she muttered to herself.

Noll woke up when he heard Mai stepped out of the lavatory. He stood up and turned towards her and found himself speechless. She stood there wearing the dress with the sandals as she dried her hair with a towel. He noticed her look up at him and saw her lips move but he was too mesmerized to even comprehend what she said.

Mai stepped out of the lavatory, drying her hair. She looked at Noll who was staring at her. "It's too much, I know but it's the only thing in the bag" she said. She noticed that he didn't hear her. "Noll?" she asked. She walked closer to him and looked up. "Noll, hey! You there?" she said as she waved her hand in front of him. Noll blinked and snapped back to reality. "I'll meet you up at the in the deck" he said before he took his clothes and went to the lavatory. "That was weird" she said.

They had breakfast together in eerie silence. Neither of them wanted to bring up Gene so they stayed completely mute. Once done, they heard the announcement that they will be arriving in the Western Land soon. They packed their things and waited for their arrival. Noll couldn't help but look at the maiden in the by the window, staring at the orange sky as the sun goes down. It was a long day since none of them dared to volunteer to do something fun. He noticed how her eyes widened in delight when the city came into view. "It's beautiful!" she cheered. She then felt Noll come up behind her and said, "That's Iga City, the main city of the Western Land." Mai nodded and turned to him, "Iga's beautiful, you grew up there, right?" Noll shook his head and move to get their bags together. "Oh?"

"I grew up in the Eastern Land, Mai" he said and opened the door to the hallway. Mai followed behind him with questions popping up in her head. "Really? How come you didn't tell me?" she asked. "There's no need to dwell on the past, now come. You're uncle should be waiting for you on the dock." He noticed a smile on Mai's face when she heard him but then it disappeared. "What?" he asked as they walk down the hallway. "What if he doesn't recognize me? I mean the only proof I have is the locket and that doesn't actually confirms I'm the princess. Also, my memories aren't clear…" she muttered. "I'm well aware of your situation, Mai."

"And you didn't tell me?" she asked furiously. "I thought you knew that already" he told her as they made their way down the plank to the dock. "Ah, they're just on time" he said. Mai looked up and saw a carriage by the end of the dock. "Is that-" she noticed Noll way in front of her, almost nearing the carriage. "What a gentlemen" she muttered and jogged to catch up with him.

When they were a few feet away from the carriage, the doorman opened the door and a man wearing a cream colored button down shirt with a red jacket over it came out. He didn't look royalty in front of Mai. He looked… normal. He has a light brown hair with a pair of brown eyes. He held out his hand for someone. Mai waited as a woman with a red hair wearing a green colored maternity dress with an emerald emblem on her bust stepped down. "Oliver" the brown haired man greeted. "Takigawa-san, it's pleasure to see you again" Noll answered politely. He also greeted the woman right next to the man. "Oliver, it's great to see you. Who's this pretty little young lady?" she asked as she stared at Mai who was behind him. Oliver almost forgot about Mai who was standing behind him. "Oliver, is she?" the brown haired man said but didn't finish. "This is Mai, who, I believe, is the only one left of the Taniyama family" Noll told the two adult. Mai moved from behind and stood next to Noll and looked up at the man who was supposed to be her uncle.

"Maiyu? Is that really you?" he asked, moving towards Mai. "People call me 'Mai' and I'm not sure if I'm really the princess…" she said honestly. "Oliver?" he asked. "Her memories are lost but my brother and I did find the Taniyama locket and the birthmark" he said. Mai blinked twice, 'Birthmark? What birthmark?' she thought. "Why don't we continue this little conversation back at the mansion. She looks tired" the red head suggested.

The ride to the mansion was awkward but the red head, who's name was Ayako, tried to lighten up the situation a little bit. "So, Mai" she started, "tell me, were they good to you?" she asked. Mai just nodded in reply. "That's good or I'll have to report that to my best friend" she informed as she looked at Noll. "Best friend?" Mai asked. "Her name's Madoka, she works for Gene and Noll's parents" Ayako explained. "I don't see the point in this conversation" Noll told the two girls. "Takigawa-san, how's the army?" Noll asked. "We're preparing to take the island off the coast of the Eastern Land in 2 days time" he said. Mai's attention went into their conversation and asked, "Is that the island where Gene was left behind?" Takigawa looked at her and said, "You left Gene there?" Noll sighed and gave Mai a cold look. "Diversion from the soldier who was looking for her" Noll explained as he stared Mai down.

They heard Ayako gave a loud sigh and they all looked at her. "Good luck explaining that to Madoka, Oliver, and to your mother and father as well" she said. Mai scooted closer to Ayako and whispered a question to her, "Are Noll's parents that strict?" Ayako chuckled and shook her head. "No, darling, they're such a lovely couple. Very nice and humble unless those two idiots do something reckless and stupid!" she almost yelled. "Ayako, dear, don't be stressed out. It's bad for the baby" Takigawa said. Mai looked at the man across from Ayako and she turned away when he looked at her. "Mai, right?" he said. Mai nodded. "Do you have the locket?" he asked. Mai unhooked the locket and gave to him. He opened it carefully and smiled when he saw the family picture. He examined the woman whom his brother married. 'Mai looked just like her if she has a longer hair' he thought. 'There's no doubt that she's the princess and Noll did say that she has the birthmark.'

They arrived at the mansion and Mai noticed that there were people waiting outside for them. 'Servants?' she thought. The mansion was big, it was made out of marble and the windows were big. "It's not much, but I hope you find it homey" Ayako said. "It's more than what I used to live in" Mai confessed. They got out of the carriage and the servants bowed to them. She bowed back and gave them a warm smile. They hurried to get the luggage and assist their masters with their needs. "OLIVER!" Mai heard. She turned around and saw a woman with a blonde hair running out of the door with a very happy look plastered on her face. She turned to look at Noll and found an annoying look on his face. "I forgot to mention that your mother tagged along with Madoka" Ayako told him with a grin. Mai moved away from the path and let the woman hugged Noll endlessly.

"Mother" he started.

"Don't you 'Mother' me, Oliver. Your father and I were worried about you" she said as she brushed Noll's hair. Mai and Ayako giggled. "Took you long enough" a voice said. Mai's eyes widened. She recognized that voice… She turned around and saw…

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><p>Wonder who said that?<p>

Reviews to find out? Thanks guys!


	14. The War Started

Sorry for the super late update guys! I've been busy studying for my classes and I just didn't have time to update. Also, I've been fascinated by the hot British-Irish boy band, ONE DIRECTION! I'm just in love with them lol. Anyway, I just turned 20 this past April 9 and I passed all my classes with a 4.0 this semester. YEY!. My current gpa is 4.15 right now, which is absolutely amazing. But anyway, here's a new chapter. Hope you like it.

*NOTE: Other fanfics will be updated this coming week so watch out for that*

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><p>By the door was the man she thought she'll never see again. "Gene? Is that you?" Mai asked with wide eyes. "Who else?" he answered. He gave her a welcoming hug before they heard a small cough from behind. When Gene turned around, Mai saw a woman, or a girl, wearing a pink kimono with a bob haircut. Her hair was so dark that it compliments her almost pale skin. "Ah, Mai, meet my fiancée, Masako" he introduced. "She's your fiancée? She's pretty and adorable!" Mai cheered. "Thank you, I'm Masako" the girl said. Mai found it awkward staring at the couple so she joined Ayako, who was now talking to a woman with a brighter red hair.<p>

"Ah, Mai. Meet my best friend, Madoka" Ayako introduced.

Madoka smiled at Mai and checked her out. She circled her, examining every detail of Mai's petite body. Mai felt all eyes were on her as Madoka scanned her. "She's just adorable!" Madoka squealed. "T-thanks?" Mai said. "Don't be shy, I'm Madoka, I'm Lin's fiancée and secretary of the Davis Family" she introduced herself. "Nice to meet you. I'm-"

"I know who you are! You're the pretty little girl I used to take care off when your family visit the Western Lands" Madoka cut her off.

"You know my family?" Mai asked but she was denied with the answer as her uncle urged them to have dinner.

After dinner…

Mai was following a couple of servants to her new room. She felt awkward having them carry her luggage which only contain a small bag of necessities. As they walked down the hallway, she can't help but notice all the paintings of past rulers displayed. The last portrait was of her uncle, he looked younger and looked like her father except for some differences like the eye color. At the end of the hallway, the servants stopped in front a huge mahogany double door. They opened it and revealed a beautiful bedroom just for Mai. She gasped in surprise.

Across from the door was a sliding glass door that leads to the balcony that overlooks the ocean. In the balcony was a small white round table for tea with a pair of white matching chairs. On the left side was a sofa in front of a marbleized fireplace with a coffee table in between. On the left side fireplace was her closet and lavatory. On the right side of the room were her dresser and bed. The bed was big and full of soft feathered pillows and silk sheets. Her eyes were glimmering in delight that she barely noticed Ayako, Madoka, and Luella behind her.

"So do you like it?" Ayako asked loudly, making Mai jumped up in surprise.

"Ayako-san, Luella-san, Madoka-san, I didn't notice you. I'm sorry." Mai apologized.

"Don't worry about it, dear. We were too fascinated by you cute looks" Luella admitted.

They entered the room, followed by the maids who put her bag in the closet. Mai went outside and took in the amazing view that the balcony has to offer. Feeling the soft breeze from the ocean, Mai acknowledge everything that she has right now, knowing that this good life will not last. The four ladies sat on the sofa drinking tea as they talk about Mai's future.

"Mai will have to marry someone who is eligible to be a king of the Eastern Land"

"No, Mai should pick the guy that she wants to marry"

"Ladies, that's not how it works, they have to fall in love. They have to love each other for what they are"

Mai watched the three beautiful women argue about her groom-to-be. She find them fascinating and funny. When she thought about what they were talking about, the only boy or man that comes to her mind was, "Noll…" she whispered but loud enough for the three older women to hear.

"Noll?"

"Do you fascinate Noll?"

"You're in love with Noll?" they asked at the same time.

She blushed furiously and it was obvious to those three that she did in fact like Noll. "That's great!" Madoka cheered. "Sure, if Noll manage to learn how to act like a teenager or at least his age" Ayako commented. "That's right, Ayako, Noll has been acting too… mature lately" Luella added. Mai just blinked as she sipped her tea. She admired the ladies in front of her, imagining that the queen, or her mother, will be in their group as well, talking about her future.

The night ended fast as the people of the household took their well deserved rest. One by one they each went to bed with a good feeling, knowing that the princess if safe from harm. Noll, on the other hand is worried about something. His guts tells him that something big is about to happen soon and that whatever it was, it will endanger all the people in the household.

Weeks passed by and Mai grew close with everyone in the house. She often spend time in the beautiful backyard that the mansion had to offer and that includes the beach and pool. She spent her day reading books from the humongous library that Ayako showed her when she toured her around the mansion, or sometimes take a stroll along the shoreline with a couple of guards to watch over her. Those past weeks, happy as it sounds, Mai haven't seen any of the male members in the house, especially Noll. Luella assured her that they are just busy assessing the army after the attack on the island 2 days after she arrived. But she knew there was something more.

One night, in the middle of dinner, a warning bell was alarmed in the house. The servants panicked as they run to their masters bedroom to pack the clothes. "What's going on?" Mai asked as she waited in the main hall with Ayako, Madoka, and Luella. Nobody answered. She saw three carriages pulled up by the front door and one by one she saw the servants load their luggage. "Ayako-san, what's going on? Why are we leaving?" she asked again. Ayako gave her a worried look and said, "The enemy is near the coast line and we have to evacuate as soon as possible before they reach la-" she was cut off when loud crash was heard in the backyard.

"Master, they're firing their cannons at us" one of the servant said. Mai's eyes widened but she was pulled and pushed into a carriage before she can say something. The four ladies in the mansion rode away in the carriage as they watch the mansion burn down from the cannons. The servants escaped, riding a small carriage behind them. The driver of the carriage encouraged for the horses to go faster as they take a well hidden path to the country side. Mai looked at the older women in the carriage with her. She noticed how they all have worried stricken face but glad that they made it out alive. "W-where are we going now?" Mai asked. Luella took her hand in hers and smiled, "To my home. The men should be there when we get there. Don't worry, Mai. We'll be alright." Mai smiled in reply as she rested her head on Ayako's shoulder.

They rode for two days, non-stop, except for emergencies and to eat. They managed to avoid any battlefield if there was any and Luella assured Mai that they are traveling faster than the usual ride. Mai, on the other was worried about the twins. Her mind kept thinking that they might get hurt, or what if they're battling in the war as well. Not knowing the full story of the past event, Mai tried to look calm and happy that they survived the attack on Iga. By the third day, they arrived at the Davis' house. It was mansion, but much bigger than the one in Iga. The land was big and she noticed some horses out on the yard or backyard. When they reached the house, there were soldiers marching out to the gate, ready to battle. When she stepped out, she was greeted by a warm hug. "Mai! You're alright!"

"Gene, yeah, I'm alright" she answered. The older women stepped out and noticed that their lover was beside them in a flash. She smiled as she watched the touching reunion, but it was all gone when she noticed that her favorite or maybe least favorite person was missing.

"Gene, where's Noll?" she asked.

Gene looked horrified when he heard her. Mai noticed that something bad must have happened by the way he reacted. "Gene?" she asked again.

"Well, Noll is… is…"

"Noll, is what?"

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><p>Oh my... what happened to Noll?<p>

Reviews? Comments? Corrections? Suggestions?

Thanks guys!


	15. Betrayal

Hey guys! Sorry for the super late update. Anyway, I just finished my other fanfic, Someone Like You, and now I'm focused on this one.

Enjoy!

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><p>"Noll disappeared two days ago, he left without a note" Gene said.<p>

"W-what? He left? Why?" Mai asked, still shock about the news.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you about this but-" Gene was cut off by Luella.

"Mai, dear, why don't you rest up for a bit" she said. Mai didn't want to but she couldn't say no to Luella. With a nod, she followed a couple of maids to her quarters. She saw a balcony but instead of a beautiful view, all she saw were tents, nurses, injured soldiers, and weapons. She went back inside the room and closed the balcony doors. 'It's really happening, there really is war' she thought. She heard a knock on the door and waited for the person to come in, it was her uncle.

"Mai, I heard Gene told you what happened to his brother" he said. Mai just nodded in reply.

"Did something happen that made him leave?" she asked. She sat on the bed and waited for his reply. Her uncle sat next to her and said, "If I follow my instincts, he's after someone in the Eastern Lands. Who? I don't know, but I have hunch."

"The king?" Mai asked, looking up at her uncle.

He looked down and patted her head, "Maybe, now, dinner is almost ready. I hope to see you there." Mai nodded, before her uncle left she had something else to ask, "I was wondering if the nurses outside might need some help, or anything. I don't want to just sit here and do nothing."

Her uncle smile and said, "Do as you wish, Mai. Also, you can call me uncle. I have no doubt that you're my niece." Mai smiled.

For two weeks, Mai helped out the nurses with the injured soldiers even though they insisted that they got it. She helped around the house from cooking to cleaning. One would think that she's a maid because of her hard work. She changed her fancy dresses to a simple light pink dress with a black apron and black flats. Her now shoulder length hair was tied in a simple pony tail with a ribbon. She felt like she was back in the orphanage that she missed so much. Luella and the others were busy with paper works for their supplies while the men were busy with the war plans. For those two weeks, her mind was full of concern for Noll.

Winter was just around the corner, there was no sign of the war ending anytime soon. Mai was getting restless because Noll did not sent any letters to anyone. He could be anywhere. The soldiers also moved their camp, minimizing Mai's job. She was bored, and the cold weather wasn't helping her either. It's almost been a year since she met Noll, one of the best part of her precious memories.

During dinner, the women in the house was left alone because the men went to the nearest town to investigate and report things. They were barely talking except for the part when Ayako announced that her and her daughter, Yuki, was moving to the Northern Lands in two days time and Masako will be coming over soon. Mai knew that once Ayako gives birth, her uncle would want them to be in a safer place, which is the Northern Lands, where her family resides. Ayako wanted to take Mai with her but knew that it was too risky. Without any notice, the front door was broken down, alarming the whole household. A maid was running towards them but she was shot and fell on the floor as blood came out of her back. Mai and the others stood up from the table and walked the opposite way but a soldier wearing green and white blocked the way, gun pointing at them. Mai checked the other exits but it was also blocked.

"Is this the house where the king resides?" one the soldier asked.

Nobody answered.

"Tell me!" he yelled.

"No, he… he left" Mai half lied.

"Left? Without his wife and daughter?" one other soldier asked as he pointed at Ayako and the baby. The women were scared, they dare not talk in front of the soldiers.

"He… he thought it will be safer here" Mai lied again.

"Without protection? Woman, you better start telling the truth or I will kill each and everyone in this house until I get something useful" Mai heard.

"I am telling the truth!" she yelled, which resorted with a slap on the face.

"Mai…" Luella called and helped her up.

A soldier came in, he talked to one of the soldiers and showed him a paper. The said soldiers looked at the women and his eyes landed on Mai. He smirked and told the messenger something. "Well, change of plans" the soldier said. He pointed his gun at maid and killed her. The women scream in horror. Then he pointed it at Madoka. Her face showed terror and her eyes closed. "Now, I need the truth, young lady" he said to Mai. "I received some news that you knew the whereabouts of the missing princess, tell me the location and I would let everyone go," he said. "I… I don't know" Mai lied, again.

"Suit yourself" he said and pointed the gun at Madoka. When he was about to pull the trigger Mai jumped in the way and said, "Stop! If you want the princess… then take me."

Everyone was shocked, Luella wanted to pull her back but the soldiers prevented her. "Why should we take you? You're just a lady on the house."

"I'm the princess, if you want proof then here" Mai said and handed him the locket.

The said man looked to his soldiers and had Mai dragged outside. "Mai!" Luella called. "Burn the house" the soldier said.

Without a second thought, the other soldiers started lighting the house with fire, the residents ran outside as they watch the beautiful mansion go down.

Mai was thrown inside a dirty old carriage and there she wept. She didn't know what will happen to her. She's done the right thing, she didn't want anyone else getting killed, so she stepped up. For days she sat in the carriage, except for emergencies, they didn't feed her. All she got was a cup of water for the day. She didn't even know how many days she sat there.

One day, the carriage stopped. A soldier opened the door and the light made Mai's eyes squint. She felt strong hands grab her hand and pulled her roughly. Once her eyes adjusted, she found herself in front of a ship. She saw soldiers getting ready for a fight and that scared her. 'How did they escape the fleet?' she thought. She was then roughly pulled up the plank and thrown inside a room. She didn't wait long until someone came in. But she wasn't ready for the surprise.

"Mai"

That voice was too familiar. She turned her head towards the door and found him.

"Noll?"

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><p>What was he doing in the ship?<p>

Reviews? Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Corrections?

Massive thank you!


	16. Meet Toya

Sorry for the long wait! Anyway, I'll try finishing this up before I go to Disney on August, yey! Maybe 4 or 5 chapters left. Oh! And an Epilogue for Someone Like You will be posted sometime this week!

Enjoy! And don't kill me after what I've done to Mai.

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><p>Mai stood up, but her weak body prevented her from doing it. She waited for the impact of the floor but she was met by two strong arms. "Stay here" he said. Mai sat on the makeshift bed of sack and hay and waited for Noll to come back. She surveyed the area and realized that her so-called room was a jail. Noll came back after 5 minutes with a bread and a cup of water. He sat next to her and handed her the food, which she genuinely took and ate. After finishing the bread and water, Mai remembered why she was there and looked at Noll.<p>

"Are you captured as well?" she asked.

Noll knew she was going to ask sooner and later but he wasn't prepared for it. He can't lie to her, he knew that she'll know if he's lying. Telling her the truth will hurt her, but it was the best choice. He took a deep breath and looked at her. She lost weight, now that he fully examined her situation. Her short hair was now past her shoulders and her curves were more noticeable. She grew up.

"Believe it or not, Mai, I'm working for-" he didn't finish because of the look that Mai was giving her. Her face showed many emotions. From shock to sadness, but there was no anger. "You're working for HIM" she finished. "Yes, but I have reasonable excuse for why I am doing this."

Mai stood up and faced Noll, who was still sitting on the bed. "There's no excuse for this, Noll! Do you not understand that HE is the enemy! Why you're parents and your brother are fighting to throw him out of power? HE killed my family!" Mai shouted.

Noll stood up and stared down at Mai, "I know how ruthless he may be, I know that my pathetic brother and parents are fighting him to overthrow his tyranny. I also know that he killed your family, your highness, but he is my father."

Mai gasped in shock. She could not believe that the man who killed his family was Noll and Gene's father. She must be very lucky. She took a step back and looked at the ground, preventing any eye contact with him. 'We're fighting against him and his father, how stupid of me to fall in love with the enemy' she thought.

"Mai, if you do manage to overthrow my father and capture him, I suggest you may as well kill me when you get the chance because I will avenge him" he said and walked to the door. Before he could exit, he felt Mai holding his sleeve, looking down. "Why…?" she asked.

"He made a truce with the North and South to not interfere with his conquest to conquer the Western Lands. Why? I believe he's searching for something, something that I cannot tell you" he harshly pulled his sleeve from her frail hands and locked the door. Mai fell on her knees and started sobbing. Noll can hear her from the hallway as he leans next to the door. "I'm sorry" he whispered before he left.

The survivor from the mansion manage to find their way to a small town without any problems. Gene was the one who spotted them and asked about what happened. From there, they were assisted to a small inn and rest after a long week.

While Gene and the other men talk about strategy to infiltrate the East, the women couldn't help but worry about Mai, especially Ayako. They couldn't sleep at night with the fear of someone breaking in the inn. Since some part of the Western Lands were now occupied with the enemy, safety was their first concern. By the next week, the women, including Masako and Ayako's baby, left for the Northern Lands. There was no ifs or buts, it was for their safety.

That same week, Mai arrived at the manor where Noll's father was hiding. It was near the orphanage where she grew up. Near the town where she met him. After being roughly escorted to her chamber in the dungeons, a man who's about in his mid-40's showed up by the door. He was wearing a black button down shirt, with a white vest, and black pants. He had those same eyes like the twins, but all she can see was anger when she looks at them. "You must be the little runt that my men managed to miss" he greeted.

"And you must be the bastard who killed my family" she hissed at him.

"I'd watch my tone if I were you" he warned her.

He took a step forward, Mai took a step back. They continued this until Mai was against the wall, nowhere else to go. He was only inches away from her, she realized how small she looked against him. "It is true, you're as beautiful as your mother" he whispered in her ear which gave her shivers down her spine. "And you look like an old monkey" she replied and pushed him away. Pissed, he grabbed her hair and said, "I'll make sure that you'll suffer under my roof," then pushed her hard against the wall. She hit her head badly, leaving her unconscious on the floor with blood on her forehead.

"Do not give her any food or water for the week, that'll be her punishment."

For a weeks, Mai starved in her chamber. She was too weak to even move. She sat in a far corner for safety, knees pulled up to her chest, arms around them, and head resting. She knew it was Winter, the small window in the room was big enough to let some snow in, not helping her current state. She never heard from Noll after the encounter in the ship. She didn't know how her friends and family were doing, if they were alive, especially baby Yuki.

One day, a man came in and roughly dragged her. Where? She didn't know. She was too tired and weak to even open her eyes. She felt the stairs as every step of it were banging on her shins. She was roughly thrown inside a well-lit room. She didn't even bother moving but the voice that called out her name was familiar.

Noll was waiting in, what seemed to be, a library with his father. He said that he has something for him. Noll didn't like the idea of his malicious father giving him something. He knew it wouldn't be good. For the past weeks, he hid the information that he knew from his father, knowing that it could be the end of the war with the result of the Western Lands being burned. He also knew that his father knew that he's hiding something from him. When the door opened, he gasped when he saw a brown haired maiden being dragged by two soldiers. They threw her on the floor. He waited for her to move but she didn't. Was she alive? One way to find out.

"Mai…?" he called.

He saw her move slowly. She winced when she opened her eyes, the light in the right room was too bright. He saw her hands shaking to push herself up. When she looked up at him, his heart broke. Her used to be pink lips were now pale and dry, her chubby cheeks were gone, and her eyes were hollow. Her skin was pale and there were bruises, probably from the way the guards handled her. She was skin and bone. Her dress was hanging on her shoulders, it was too big for her now that she lost a lot of weight.

"F-funny seeing y-you here" she commented as she stood up with her shaking legs.

"Ah! You two know each other, that's great, that's great! That's just wonderful" Noll's father cheered.

Noll knew was planning something, something bad. If not to him, probably to Mai. He looked at his father and saw him smirked, evilly. He walked towards Mai and examined her state. "I see they've done well on you. Hungry?" he asked.

"I'd rather die than eat anything from this hell" Mai hissed at him.

"You know, Noll, this little friend of yours has quite a mouth. I've been itching to punish her since day 1. But, I'd give you that privilege since you'll be ruling this land when the time comes and of course the Western Lands as well" he said and gave Noll a whip.

"Toya, she got what she deserved. Let her go" Noll said.

"Ah, Noll, that is not possible. You see, this little girl right here holds the key to our fortune. If starving her is not enough to make her sing, then maybe this will" Toya, Noll's father, said and pushed him towards Mai.

Noll gave him back the whip and left the room, whispering to Mai's ear as he pass her, "I'm sorry." When the door closed, Mai looked up at the man who's name was Toya.

"Well then, is just us, then we don't need this now, do we?" he said and threw the whip somewhere. He took of his black vest followed by his white button down shirt as he walk towards her. "You're skin and bone, but you'll do. I'll make sure you'll be screaming my name and wanting me for more."

Noll waited in the hallway by the library, he waited for the sound of the whip but there was none. All he heard was a loud scream from Mai, begging someone to help her. "Mai!" he called and tried opening the door. But it was futile, it was locked from the other side. "Mai!" he called again. Heard a loud thud on the door and Mai's weak sobbing, "P-please… stop."

"Mai!" Noll called again. He ramped the door, kicked it, but it was no use. 'A gun' he thought. "Wait for me, Mai" he called to her. He ran down the hallway, looking for a soldier or a gun. Around a corner, he saw a collection of guns, he took one and loaded it with bullets. He ran back to the door and shot the door knob. He kicked the door open and saw…

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><p>Am I really that bad when I give you guys cliffy's? Lol. Makes it more exciting, right? No? okay... :)<p>

Oh! New fanfic before Fall Sem starts after I finish all my Ghost Hunt stories. I'm thinking about Hiiro No Kakera or Inuyasha. Or maybe a One Direction fanfic (wattpad, most likely).

Comment on the chapter and what I should do next?

Massive thank you!


	17. Explanations

I deeply apologize for the super late update!

I've been busy... watching the Olympics here in London that I forgot to update this. Anyway, this chapter is shorter than my usual, it kind a explains the reason for the war. Well sort of.

If you still don't get it, please feel free to message me...

besides that... Enjoy!

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><p>He saw his father on top of a half-naked Mai. What scared him the most was the emptiness of Mai's eyes. She was staring directly towards his way with a blank face except for the single tear coming down her right eye. "Nice for you to join us, son" his father said and stood up. "Get away from her!" Noll warned and pointed the gun at his father. "Disobedient now, are we?" his father mocked and backed up from the fallen girl. He cautiously walked his way to Mai and helped the girl up. She was shivering but at least she was responding. "You won't getaway with this, Oliver, you know I will find you. You know what I can do" his father said. Noll replied by shooting him on the left thigh and ran out of the room pulling Mai.<p>

They made their way out of the house easily, too easy for his liking. They ran straight to the forest nearby for almost two hours, putting great distance between the enemy and Mai. He would've continued running but he stopped when Mai tripped over a root. "I-I'm okay…" she whispered and attempted to stand up, she failed. She felt her legs give up under her and prepared to hit the cold ground, but instead, she felt strong arms around her waist. She looked up and saw those two deep blue eyes that belonged to the man she loves. "Careful" he warned.

They settled under a huge willow tree, he set down the gun and watched over Mai. She looked tired, hungry, pale, but most of all she looked like she was losing hope. "I'm sorry about this" he said when Mai sat next to him. "It's not your fault, you wanted to be with your father" she said and gave him a small smile. "But, I want to know why you left? You had us worrying about you" she asked and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I received a letter from him, asking me to be on his side for the family's safety. I figured it was my chance to spy on him, so I left" he explained.

"What did you find out?"

"He's looking for something, in the Western Lands, something he didn't have before. Something that will give him power over the other rulers" he said.

"Yeah…?"

"It's unclear yet, but as soon as-" he didn't finished his sentence when he felt Mai stumble on his lap.

"Mai?" he called for her.

He shook her, but she didn't move. "Mai, it's not funny."

He shook her again, no reply.

He checked her pulse, he almost panicked when he barely felt one. Her skin was getting colder by the minute.

"Stay with me, Mai" he whispered and carried her out of the thick forest.

He ran for hours while carrying the dying girl in his arms. The moment he saw the exit of the forest, he felt relieved. 'Almost there' he thought. When he stepped out of the thick forest, he was surprised of what was in front of him. "Noll?" he heard.

It was his brother with an army, ready to attack. "Gene… Mai… save… Mai…" he said in between his raspy breath. Paramedics quickly took the girl from his arms, that was the moment when the toll of running for hours took over. He fell on his knees and let darkness take him, knowing that Mai is in good hands.

A few days later…

Noll woke up when he heard voices around him. He quickly recognized who they belonged to. His brother was there, his adopted mother and father, Takigawa, and Lin. The voice that he wanted to hear the most was not, and that alarmed him. He quickly sat up, alerting everyone in the room that he was awake.

"Mai…" he whispered.

"Noll, dear, wait here. Gene went out to get the doctor. How are you feeling?" his mother asked.

"Where's… Mai?" he asked.

"You have some explanations to do, Oliver" Lin said.

"Where's Mai?" he asked.

"Let him get some rest before anyone starts asking question" his mother told the others.

"Someone tell me where Mai is?!" he yelled.

They all looked away, nobody wanted to answer his question.

"What are you doing? Answer me! Where's Mai?!" he demanded.

"Where's Mai? You want to know?! Mai's on her deathbed! She's been asleep for days! She's not getting any better, Oliver!" Gene yelled at his brother from the door, behind him was a doctor.

"W-what?" was all Noll managed to say.

"I'm not repeating myself, Noll" Gene told him and left.

"He's lying! Tell me he's lying!" he screamed at the people around him.

Nobody answered him, confirming that what his brother told him was the truth.

He started throwing things around and the doctor had to sedate him. The last word he said was, "Mai…"

Mai's POV…

I found myself in a clearing, a very peaceful clearing. It was beautiful, perfect to be honest. There were butterflies and flowers. I walked for a minute and found a woman. She looked at me and smiled, it felt warm.

"Come here, child" she said.

I walked to her and sat down on the grass, next to the beautiful lady.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Your in a place between life and death, Maiyu" she answered.

"You know my name?"

"Of course, I am your mother"

My eyes widened. My mother was there, next to me.

"But you're dead, does that mean that I am dead as well?"

She gave me a smile and shook her head, "No, dear. You're not dead. You're just in a dream. A deep dream" she explained.

"If this is a dream, then I don't want to wake up. I want to be with you" I said.

I then heard a boy laughing, I looked up and saw a small boy, very young, he looked just like me. "You always talk funny, Maiyu-chan" he said. I noticed that we had the same eyes and face, so he must be my brother. "You can't stay here, Maiyu, there are people waiting for you" my mother explained. Then out of nowhere, a man spoke. "That is true, there are still people who needs help. Without you, their lives will be miserable. Maiyu, my dear daughter, you're they're only hope."

I looked behind a boy and saw a very dashing man. He walked to my mother and sat next to her. This was my family, the family that I never had. I wanted to cry, I wanted to be with them but they were right. "But I don't even know what's going…" I confessed.

"Toya Urado is after the treasures of our family, he wants it to buy out the kings. He wants it to rule the kingdoms, for power" father explained."Where is it?" I asked.

"The locket, dear, everything is in the picture" my mother explained.

"The locket?"

They all nodded and smiled. "It's nice to see my beautiful daughter grow up well, take care" my mother said, and they all started to disappear.

"No please… Don't leave yet"

I felt a force trying to pull out of this place, it was getting stronger and stronger…

Normal POV…

Everyone was outside Mai's bedroom waiting for the doctor to come out. Gene was visiting Mai when she started having seizures and it's been a while since he called the doctor. When the door opened, Gene was the first one to ask him about Mai's state. "How is she?"

The doctor smiled, "See for yourself."

Gene entered, followed by the others, and saw Mai laying down, eyes open. "Mai…" Gene whispered. "H-hey… Long time no see" she smiled.

Noll was taking a stroll in the garden when he heard one of the servants that she was bringing food to Mai's room. He quickly ran up the stairs and straight to her room. He slammed the door open and saw Mai talking to Takigawa, his father, and Lin. "Mai" he said. She looked up and saw Noll, panting. "You're alive…" he added.

"No, I'm dead" she joked. Noll sighed in relief and slid down against the door. The three men left the two alone, knowing that they'll need some time alone.

"There's a chair, you know" she said. Noll got up and went to sit the chair next to her bed. "Thank you for saving me" she told him. He nodded in reply. "I just can't believe that all of this is happening for money or treasures…" she admitted. "Hey, it's also about you rising back to power and taking the throne back to your family" he added. "Yes, but all I wanted was a simple life…"

"You wake up from a deep sleep and the first thing you do is whine" he said.

"You're still the same, being cold and ruthless and-"

"And?"

"A jerk!" she added.

"I'm glad you're back" he told her and stood up.

"W-what?"

"I don't repeat myself, Mai, get your slow mind working. There's a war to win" he advised the girl and left.

"Oooh! That jerk!" Mai yelled.

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><p>If you still don't get the reason for the war, message me... I will gladly explain it. If not, I'll explain it on the next chapter that I will post the next day.<p>

Massive thank you.

Comments? Reviews? Corrections? Suggestions?


	18. Kidnapped

Short quick chapter but this will set the tone for the last couple of chapters in this story.

Explanation about what Toya Urado wants/reasons of the war:

-he wants Mai dead because he's afraid that she'll overpower him and take back the kingdom

-revenge (chapter 19)

-treasure (money, gold, etc.) to finance his army and buy out the other rulers who he made "peace" with

-he's a tyrant, he wants power and rule basically everyone

Does that make sense? lol

Enjoy!

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><p>For a week, Mai took a rest. Her doctor advised her to not do anything hazardous or tiring. That included helping out in the house, which she found that it belongs to Madoka. For most of the day, she's either in the tiny garden or learning how to read intellectual books. She rarely see the twins or any of the men. Luella and the other women are in a place somewhere safe, so she was alone.<p>

One day, Martin invited her for a tea in the garden. She accepted, knowing that he's going to ask something about Toya. She thought that Noll will have more information since he got to know the perverted man way better than her, but she knew that there are some information that she only knows. It was in the afternoon when she waited for Martin at the garden. The said man arrived exactly on time, being punctual.

"Good afternoon, Mai, how are you?" he asked and sat down on the empty chair.

"I'm well, thank you" she answered. She poured the tea and gave him a cup.

"I'll cut the chase, I want to know every detail of everything that you know" he said and took a sip.

"All I know, sir, is that he is after a massive amount of treasures. I don't know what kind but I think it's enough to buy out the other rulers of the other lands" she informed him.

"Do you know where it is?" he asked.

"No, well… not really but I have a clue…"

The afternoon ended fast. Martin received all the information that could help him and the others defeat the tyrant. But it was the calm before the storm…

Two days after their talk, the infantry sent to the manor where Mai was held captured failed to seize the place. With Gene leading the infantry, he suffered many injuries including am almost fatal shot on the chest. When the news reached the base, Martin told the men to fall back with Gene. When he arrived at the Western Lands, he was barely alive. With the help of many doctors, they managed to save the young man. He was sent to Luella to recover even with his disapproval.

After the failed attempt, Mai convinced the Martin and the others to locate the treasure that he was looking for. Risky, Noll was the first one to object but Martin saw this as an advantage. If they have what he was looking for, he was bound to come to them. Noll still disagreed and swore to not cooperate on that mission but it will change the next day…

That said day came and trouble was lurking. Mai managed to escape the guards at the base and headed to the small town. The walk wasn't far because they were merely a mile or 2 outside the town in the mountains. Once she arrived, what she saw made her sick. The people were begging for money or food or anything that could help them. She could tell that these people were survivors of an attack. She made her way to the market and look for meat and fish. It was a disappointment. There was nobody in the market, it was closed. Little did she know that someone's been watching her. When she decided to leave the rundown town, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her in an alley. A hand clasped on her mouth, preventing her to scream for help.

"Try anything and I will slit your throat, your highness" the assailant said. He dragged her into a nearby carriage and pushed her in. She was greeted by a hard hit on the head and knocked her out.

Everyone in the base was in turmoil after they found out that Mai was missing. Noll was running around the place looking for her. After hours of searching, he knew that she's not coming back. How? He felt it. He went out of the base and took a horse and rode to town. He asked around about a girl with a brown hair and light brown skin. Most of the people claimed not seeing her but a skinny little black haired girl did.

"Sir, if you're talking about a girl wearing a pink dress with a white ribbon on her hair, you won't be seeing her around. I saw her being dragged and pushed inside a carriage" the girl explained.

Noll's heart stopped. He knew that whoever took Mai was working for Toya. "How long ago?" he asked. The girl thought about it for a moment before answering him, "About a couple of hours ago, sir." He nodded in reply and gave her a pouch of silver coins. "Thank you" he said and left.

His mind was racing… He was thinking about a lot of things, mostly about Mai. He knew that she'll be punished once Toya gets his hands on her. He rode back to the base to report what happened, hoping that they'll send an infantry for rescue.

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><p>So, short chapter but the next one will make up for it. About 2 or 3 chapters left and I'm also going to update "Memories A Sequel To Love Case" after this.<p>

So...

Reviews? Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Corrections?

Massive thank you!

oh! Who saw One Direction perform at the Olympics Closing Ceremony?

I did! I was there!


	19. Why Panic

I know there's no excuse for updating super late... I've been busy with all my schoolwork and work. Also, the laptop that I always use for my stories and schoolwork got wet when it rained heavily... All my work was gone. :( But like I said, there's no excuse because I could have made a backup plan or something...

Well here goes chapter 19! Hope you like it even though it's short. I'll be posting a lot more when December comes... Thank you!

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><p>The search for Mai was initiated right after Naru informed them. Although not all soldiers were ordered to look for her. A couple dozen of soldiers were sent to various to look for Mai. Naru was frustrated at his adoptive father for aborting the other missions, seeing that finding Mai was more important than winning the war.<p>

"Hear me out, father" Naru said with a hint of aggressiveness in his voice.

"I've been doing that for the past two days, Noll. All you can do right now hope for them to find her or keep yourself busy with finding the treasure that Toya is after" Martin told him and left for a brief meeting.

Noll ran his hands through his dark hair, frustrated at his father's answer. But he knew he had a point, if he has what Toya wants, he's bound to give Mai back to him…errr to them. In a flash, he quickly gathered all the information he needed for the treasure.

Mai woke up on top of a soft warm bed. She could hear the seabirds calling from the balcony. Immediately, she sat up and inspected the surroundings. It was Madoka's house, that's one thing. She removed the comforter on top of her and noticed that she was wearing a lace almost-see-through nightgown. Ignoring her clothing, she went to the balcony and gaped in awe when she saw the beautiful sight. The sea was blue and the beach seemed untouched. The birds flying and dolphins nearby. The surrounding was untouched by the horrible war going on. She then heard the door open and she instantly looked at the person.

"Luella-san?" Mai whispered.

"Oh, darling! You're awake! Finally!" she cheered.

She walked over to Mai and gave her the sweetest and tightest hug.

"We've been worried about you, our little hired bodyguard can be a little rough sometimes. I apologize for that."

Mai looked at her for a minute, couldn't believe what she was saying.

"Luella-san, you meant to say that you kidnapped me purposely?" Mai asked.

Before Luella could answer, someone knocked on the door.

Luella turned to look at the person, revealing Mai's almost naked body. By the door was Gene, on a pair of crutches, he blushed when he saw Mai. He closed his eyes and yelled, "Mother! Did I not tell you not to put that on her?"

Mai blushed as well, she ran and jumped on the bed and hid under the thick comforter.

"Ah! Gomen, Gene. Leave now, I need to help Mai with her clothes and she also needs some explanation. Wait for her in the garden" Luella ordered. When Gene closed the door, Luella told Mai to strip while she got her clothes ready.

"Luella-san, where exactly are we?" Mai asked as she slipped out of the nightgown.

"Well, it's your mother's childhood house. This is where we practically grew up, that was until I had to move" Luella explained. She handed her a white ruffled blouse and a red dress. "My mother's house…" Mai whispered when she put on the clothes.

"Here, sit down. Let me fix your hair" Luella told her and ushered her to the white vanity. She began combing her hair as she explained what happened.

"My mother and her mother are great friends, well my mother was a servant, but it did not matter to her. Your grandmother and mother were just like you."

"Like me?"

Luella nodded, she took the top half of her hair and started to fish braid it.

"Softhearted, put the ones in need first, cheerful…" Luella stated each characteristics that described Mai's maternal side.

"I wish I remembered them…" Mai sighed.

"Aha! You look beautiful, Mai" Luella said when she finished her hair. Mai checked herself in the mirror and smiled. "Thank you" she said.

Luella looked at her before she gave her a motherly hug and whispered, "If you want, you can treat me like a mother… I've always wanted to have a daughter."

Mai looked up at her and gave her the a smile before hugging her back again.

Naru was frustrated at himself. He was the smart one, the one who can figure things out. He can solve the world's hardest problem but why can he not find a better clue to find the damn treasure. He pushed all the files aside and went to his bed. He sat there, thinking of Mai. "Damn it to hell!" he yelled. He then took his coat, retrieve his gun, and got on a horse. He was on his quest back to Eastern Land, to the old Taniyama Manor.

Mai saw Gene in the garden, waiting for her. There were biscuits and tea on the table and Gene, reading. "Hello, Gene" she greeted. "Hey, Mai. Nice to finally see you wearing something" he joked and put down the book. "Tea?"

"Yes, please"

"My mother told you that you're here for an explanation" he started.

"Yes, I need a really good explanation for this. I cannot believe that you guys would do that…" she whined.

"It's for Noll, Mai."

"For Noll? Care to explain on that"

Gene adjusted his seating and sipped on his tea before he started to explain to her why it happened. "Noll's been reckless, if you haven't notice it, father decided to separate you two, for your own good. He wanted to get things done quickly because more men are dying and more villages and towns are being burned to the ground. Without you there, he can convince Noll to look for the treasure… that is IF he can convince him."

"He doesn't even know anything, Gene… I know where it is… well when I see it, I think" Mai argued.

Gene smiled at her, "Don't worry about Noll too much. He'll be fine, we both know well that he is smart and he would do anything to get you back," he said with a wink. Mai blushed furiously and tried to cover it up by munching on some biscuits.

"For how long?" she asked.

"Until Toya's dead… or whenever father thinks it's safe to go back in the mainland" he told her.

Mai sighed and stared at her coffee. Knowing Naru, she knew that he'll get in a lot of trouble, she can feel it like they have a connection. With another sigh, Mai relaxed and took a sip on her tea and enjoyed the beautiful view that the garden offered.

With Martin…

"Oliver, you will get yourself in trouble" he murmured as he assist the search for his son. He didn't know whether he went out to look for the treasure or for Mai, but either way it was not safe for him to ran away, knowing that the enemies are just miles away from them.

"No sign of him, sir" a soldier said.

"Alright, we'll continue tomorrow. Everyone go back to the base" he ordered.

'All the Kami's up there, watch out for my son' he prayed before following the rest of his soldiers.

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><p>Chapter 20 will be out in a bout 3 weeks or 4 :)<p>

Thank you for being patient and for the reviews and follows and many more :)

Review? Comments? Suggestions? Corrections? Please do so!


	20. Taniyama-Kasikage History

Here's the next chapter!

I know it took me a while because I just finished my last final last week. I was too worried about my grades to even finish this chapter. But in the end, I got another 4.0! Yay me! I thought I failed Physics 2 because it was difficult! I guess hard work pays off.

Anyway, hope you like this chapter!

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><p>He rode to the borderline of the warring lands in his midnight black horse. In his thoughts, he only needed to find one thing and that's in the Eastern, in the old Taniyama Manor. That's where he'll begin his search to end this war, to get Mai back into his protection. He might not admit it in front of others but he cared deeply for the princess. It was unnatural for him to show his true feelings in front of the people who knew him well. He stared at the empty field in front of him. It was almost Summer and that reminded him of Mai, the warmth that she brings to everyone around her, the bright smile, and her bubbly personality. He got off his horse and lead it to a destroyed fence to the other land. Carefully, he tied the horse down to a tree and examined the surrounding. It was calm, as if nothing's going on. When he stepped out of the clearing, five guns were initially pointed at him.<p>

"Who are you?" a man asked. Naru turned behind him and saw an old man, a villager.

"I'm Oliver, son of Martin of the Western Land" he calmly answered.

"What's your business here?" the old man asked again.

Naru sighed, "To retrieve something in the Taniyama Manor not far from here. I assure you that I am not a threat to your people."

The old man lowered his gun, the others followed.

"If you are going there, take the road by the river, there are soldiers in the main road. _His_ army will be in the road. It's not safe for you to travel down that road."

"Thank you" Naru bowed and got his horse. He mounted the black horse and rode off to the river.

He traveled three days and two nights non-stop. Barely avoiding the soldiers from his real father. If Luella ever find out about his stunt, he knew well enough that he'll be told off for at least ten minutes. He arrived at the old manor. It was dark and old. There was no sign of life for years in the manor. He dismounted his horse and examined the area. The twenty feet iron gate was the problem, so were the fifteen foot walls. He walked around the wall and found vines that he could use to get over the bricked wall. He took a gun with him, slinging it behind his back as he climb the vines. He got on the other side with ease and that was when he noticed a broken window not far from him. He got his gun ready and entered the broken window. It was fresh, someone was recently in the manor. He heard some footsteps coming from the other room. He hid in a corner, shadows covering his body. He saw a man with a dark hair and glasses, wearing a white button shirt and pair of black slacks. "I thought I heard someone…" the man said.

Noll took that cue to step out from his hiding spot, gun pointed at the man. "Who are you?" he asked. The said man turned and almost jumped out of the window. "Who are you?" Noll asked again. "Yasuhara" the man answered. "What's your business here?" Naru replied, pointing his gun at the man before him. "Hey, hey, hey… No need for a gun. I'm just hiding from the soldiers" Yasuhara told him, waving his hand in front of himself. Naru lowered the gun and cocked his eyebrow. "You do know that you're-"

"Yes, the infamous Taniyama Manor. I didn't steal anything if that's what you think."

"Good," Naru walked out of the room and began searching every drawer in the dark manor. "Hey! What are you doing…""Davis, Oliver. I'm searching for something. Have you seen anything suspicious in this place?" Naru asked the man while closing one of the cabinet in the study hall. "Now that you asked me… There's this room upstairs that wouldn't open" Yasu told him. Naru ignored the drawers and ran up the stairs, followed by Yasuhara. "Which way?" he asked.

"At the end of the hallway, last door on the left" Yasu pointed.

Naru arrived in front of a huge door. It was made of oak and it was dusty, except the door handle. Naru tried opening it, but it seemed jammed. "I told you it wouldn't open" Yasu reminded him. Naru stepped back and kicked the door, still it was closed. He did it three times before the door busted open. Inside was nothing but a study table and a diary. "I thought there'll be gold in here or something for it to be locked like that" Yasu whined.

Naru took the diary and read a random page.

_Dear Diary,_

_My adopted brother, Toya, planned on taking over the country. I told my beloved husband about it but he refused to believe me. In my opinion, it's Urado's doing. Ever since he came into the palace, my husband made the wrong choices. I do not know much about politics and military but the way the our people responded to his laws says it all. Small villages were abandoned and people started moving out to the Western Lands. My family suggested that I do the same and bring my children with me but I cannot bear to leave my husband when he needs me the most. _

_I decided to send Maiyu and Miroku in two days time to their Uncle in the Western Land just in case something bad happens. Although my husband is against it, it's for the safety of our children. I want them away from this place. I just hope that I am not too late._

Naru turned to the next page and continued reading.

_Dear Diary, _

_Today is the day that I'm going to send my children away. It's early in the morning and the carriage will not be arriving until later afternoon. I should have planned on an earlier time for them since Urado sent a lot of soldiers in the palace. They are positioned in almost every corner. Maiyu's scared while Miroku pretended not to be. I tried talking to husband about the increase of soldiers but he didn't respond. He sat in the office with the map of the Eastern Land in front of him. I'm getting really scared. _

Naru turned to the next page and he was shocked to see blood drops on the paper.

_Dear Diary,_

_This may be my last entry. The soldiers that I mentioned before was against the family. They brought us back here in the manor. On the way, my daughter, Maiyu, was lost in the crowd. I do not know what happened to Urado after the rampage in the palace. When the rest of us got here, my adopted brother was waiting for us. My shocked husband was too surprised to even move or utter a word. Toya told me that I will meet my father soon. I knew what he meant, my father's dead. He will kill us, I don't know when or where but the look in his eyes says it all. I hope Maiyu's alright, I hope someone's taking care of her. _

Naru raised his eyebrows when he saw the next page, the handwriting was messy. In his opinion, she was in a hurry in writing this entry.

_Dear Diary,_

_It's been a week since we moved here. On the third day, he killed my husband right in front my son and myself. He's gone mad. The day after, he went after my son… He had him… he chased him around the garden with a gun while I watch from the rooftop. I saw him shot my son in the back more than twice… _

_This will be my last entry, I know that my time is about to come. Toya wants something, a paper that he thinks will prove that we are real brothers and sisters. He wants the right to rule the land without opposition. He wants his paper. The paper that says that he's adopted. But I cannot tell him where it's located. I hid the clue inside my daughter's locket. The rest is in this diary, in the very back of the book… A map to the garden… where the chest is hidden… Maiyu, if you're reading this… take that documentation and give it to your uncle… or to anyone with power… Toya wanted this land since we adopted him. He believed that he's of blood and can have this land… It's the reason why he wants the family dead… why your family is dead. If there's a Taniyama that's living, he will not be able to rule this land, to get the power and money that the family worked hard for. Maiyu, dear, you're the next ruler. Get the land back that you enjoyed and loved so much… If not for us, do it for yourself…_

Naru closed the diary. He sat on a chair for a moment, thinking through all the info that he gained. It doesn't make sense at all. His father was an adopted child? But why would he look for some information concerning himself. He knew he was adopted, unless something happened. His thoughts were interrupted when Yasuhara came in.

"Is that the famous diary of Taniyama Kaname? I know so much about her. She's my hero in every aspect" Yasu gleefully informed him.

"You know of her?" Naru asked.

"Yes, I must say I know more about her than the information you can get in any textbook in any land" he said so with so much pride.

"Mind telling me everything?"

Yasuhara and Naru went down to the dusty living room and sat there. "Taniyama Kaname is the only child of the Kasikage Family. Now, if you count the adopted son, Akago Toya, then there will be two children" Yasu started.

Noll just nodded in reply.

"Kaname-san met Ryu at a ball here in the Eastern Lands and that's how they fell in love and all that jazz. Akago Toya, who suffered a head injury lost his memory around the time when the lovers were about to get married. So, he thought that he should be in line to rule the Eastern Land because of his Kasikage blood" he continued.

"Yasuhara-san, the Kasikage Family were not of noble blood" Naru corrected.

"Ah! That's where you are wrong, Davis-san. You see, the Kasikage Family were not well-known because they keep their business to themselves. The Kasikage Family were second in line if the Taniyama Family could not produce an heir but! Fortunately for both family, Kaname and Ryu-san fell in love and pop goes the twins" Yasu corrected the genius.

"Continue"

"Anyway, a few years later, Kaname's father, the head of the Kasikage Family, died. The reason was unknown but many suggested that he was assassinated. Also, that time was when Urado came into picture. Not many people know this but Urado was working for Akago Toya. With his memory still unclear, he feels and thinks that he should be sitting at Ryu-san's throne, ruling the Eastern Land. Why? Well, if one of the two families produce an heir, the first family to do that shall rule the land, no questions asked. That also goes for the rest of the land, except the Western Land. Akago, being older than Ryu and Kaname, felt betrayed after learning that. He pushed to overthrow the Taniyama Family but failed, so he worked in secrecy with Urado. During the years that they worked together, Akago found out that he was adopted. He thought that it was a lie until he asked Kaname's mother. She revealed everything, even the copy of the document that says he was adopted. In rage, many believed that he burned the Kasikage Family Manor down with the rest of the family. He wanted to get rid of the proof that he was adopted"

"You're telling me that all Akago wanted was to get rid of some stupid documentation of his adoption?"

"Yes, Davis-san. He went to court with a fake birth certificate to prove that he should be the one ruling, but the judge told him that as long as there's a living member of the Taniyama Family living, he cannot rule this land. Well, that's how it started with the killing of the Royal Family" he finished.

"Akago somehow learned that the real document was hidden somewhere" Naru stated.

"Yes, he learned that from Kaname-san but she refused to tell him where and that's how she and her daughter died" Yasu added.

"Her daughter's alive" Naru corrected.

Yasu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"So it's true then! I knew it! I've heard of stories about Princess Maiyu rescued by one of the family servants and living in an orphanage, but for her to be actually alive! This is something new! Do you know her?" he asked excitedly."That is none of your business, now, if you don't mind, help me dig something in the garden" Naru said, leaving with the diary in tow.

Naru followed the directions in the diary,

_By the garden is a gnome_

_Three steps to the left is our home_

_By the rose bush is a tree_

_If it's high a bird can see_

_Take five steps North for the best_

_Under an apple tree is a chest_

He saw the gnome, it was old and the top half was missing. Taking three steps to the left, he saw a small replica of the Taniyama Palace. He was confused about the rose bush since there was no direction, but when he looked behind the replica, there he saw a dead bush. A small tree was next to it, a bonsai. He took five steps North of the tree and under an apple tree was-

"Where's the chest?" Naru asked no one in particular.

"It says _Under an apple tree_," Yasu reminded him.

Naru started digging with his hands while Yasu went to the garden shed to get some shovel. "Here" he said, handing him the shovel. Together, both men continued digging for the chest, when Yasu hit something hard, Naru knew he found it.

After pulling the chest out of the six feet deep hole, Naru carefully opened it. It was heavy, so he thought that there'll be jewelries or something of that value hidden inside, but all there was were small paintings and portraits of the Taniyama Family. Toys and clothes for babies. "What's this?" Yasu asked.

"It's a chest full of memories, not gold or anything. This is the treasure that Akago was looking for? He's a waste of time," that was what Naru thought at first, until he saw an envelope at the bottom of the file.

He carefully opened it and the documents inside were about his father. "Davis-san, is that the-"

"The adoption paper that will prove that Akago is adopted and has no right to rule this land" Naru finished.

A sound interrupted both men, when Naru turned, his face turned white. Just a few feet across from him was the evil man himself, "Akago Toya."

"Hello, son. I knew that following you would be worth while. You've found yourself a friend as well. Yasuhara? The Yasuhara Family that worked with the documentation of the Taniyama Family?"

"Y-yes sir"

"Great, you might be a use to me. Now, dear son, why don't you hand me that documentation" he said, holding his hand out to Naru.

"There is no need for it, Akago" Naru stated.

"Don't make this hard" he said, anger seeping through his fake smile.

Naru didn't make a move, so instead, Akago used force on him. He had two of his soldiers attacked him from behind, hitting his head with the back of a gun. He lost consciousness in a matter of seconds and all his hard work was gone.

Mai woke up screaming after a nightmare. She saw Naru getting whipped inside a cell, he was all bloody and skinny. She pulled her knees up to her chest and started weeping. A few minutes late, Luella came in, worried about her. Gene was a few steps behind.

"Mai, dear, what's the matter?" she asked softly, hugging the girl.

"N-Naru… he was bloody and- and- he was hurt…" Mai sobbed.

"Shhh… everything's going to be alright" Luella comforted.

Ten minutes inside Mai's room was all it took for the girl to fall asleep again. Gene was just waiting outside. When Luella exited the room the only word she muttered were, "Contact your father as soon as possible."

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><p>Confused? Don't hesitate to contact me. I'll gladly explain this whole chapter.<p>

Review? Comments? Suggestions? Corrections?

Please do so!

THANK YOU!


	21. Trade

Hey guys! It's the day of Christmas Eve here! I'm back home in the states to spend Xmas with my family. I'll be going back to Manchester after New Year. So this means I'll be posting a whole bunch of chapters! Yay!

To start it off, I'll post one chapter today (24th) and one on Xmas Day. Since some are still confused about the previous chapter, I'll explain everything with details on the next chapter (posted on the 25th).

Anyway, enjoy!

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><p>Naru was imprisoned in the same place were Mai was kept when she was captured. The room was hot and the smell of mold was overpowering him. He didn't mind though, his problem was not about the room or the situation he's in. His problem was his own father and how he's going to stop him. He had the chance, if only he was a bit more careful the war would've been over by next week. But he was blinded by Mai's sudden disappearance, the will to get her back was the only thing keeping him sane. He counted the days he was in the godforsaken room, it was almost a week. His father wasn't going to let him die that easily so he was provided with food and water.<p>

On the seventh day, five soldiers went and got him. He wasn't dragged or anything, he was just surrounded by them as they walked towards the same room where Mai was almost raped. When he entered the room, he saw his father holding the document that he found, waving it casually. "Ah, son, you look well," Akago said, eyeing Naru. He didn't get any reply so went straight to business.

"I have sent a message to your so-called father about your capture, I will gladly give you back… in one condition that is. I'm sure that she will do it without a second thought once she finds out about it" he started. 'She? Mai! But doesn't he have her already? Unless… She better stay out of this' Naru thought. "I've also received some information about your little princes arriving later this afternoon back in the Western Lands. I thought that I should just get the ship sink and let her die, but it was too easy… not my style. So, we will meet her there, but you have to play the part… or at least look it, since your father did not reply, I suggest we go pick her up, ne?" he smirked.

Two soldiers entered the room and held Naru down on the floor. He saw his father walking towards him with a candle and the document in his hands. His head was jerked back to his father's face. Akago placed the candle in front of him, the document barely touching the fire. "With this gone, there's no asking that I will rule this land. After I kill your princess, of course" Akago lowered the document to the candle and let it catch on fire. "With or without the document, you will never have this land" Naru told him. Akago, angered by his words, kicked him in the face. When Naru lifted his head up, he smirked even with a bruise forming on his right cheek. Akago looked at the two soldiers and left the room. Once the door was closed, he could hear the soldiers throwing Naru around the room, beating him up to look the part.

Mai found that Naru went out to find the treasure when he thought that she was kidnapped by Akago's men. He left to rescue her. After her nightmare not long ago, she begged Gene and Luella to come back to the Western Lands. Luella couldn't say no to her but Gene wanted her to stay in that safe place. He knew that if his brother was there, he wouldn't let Mai go somewhere dangerous. But when he saw the look on her face, he knew that even if he forced her to stay here, she will find a way to go back there. Her eyes gave away the love that she has for Naru, it was obvious to everyone else, except his idiotic little brother. With accompanying her, they arrived in the Western Lands. They didn't plan on going to a city so the ship that they took arrived in a small village, not far from Martin's hideout. The villagers were stunned when they saw Mai walking out of the ship. Her hair cascaded down her back, she wore a simple white dress that ended at her knee, paired with white flats. Mai consciously walked down the dock, Gene right beside her. They didn't notice a couple of fishermen smirking evilly at them, planning something dreadful.

Before they reached the carriage waiting for them, two men fired a gun. The villagers ran away in fear while Mai was on the ground, covered by Gene. 'An ambush' he thought. Once the shooting stopped he wanted to escape with Mai, but he noticed that the people guarding the carriage were already dead. Gene heard someone walking towards them. He stood up instantly with Mai, pushing her behind him. He was shocked to see his biological father five feet from him. Mai cowered behind him, remembering what he almost did to her. "Hello, son. I see you've delivered the package" Akago greeted, smiling at Mai. "I won't hand her that easily to you" Gene spat at him. "I knew you would say that," on cue, two fishermen stood behind Gene and Mai. Akago stepped aside to let two soldiers pass who were dragging…

"Naru!" Mai called out, she was going to run to him but Gene held her back. Tears were already forming in her eyes after seeing the state Naru was in. He was battered, bruised, a bit bloody, and he didn't show any sign of moving. Akago grinned when he saw how worried Mai was, he knew, no doubt, that she'll give up herself to save him. "I have a proposal for you" Akago started. "I'll hand him over without anyone else getting hurt" he continued, watching Gene and Mai's face. Gene knew he wanted something in return, but he didn't dare to ask him. Instead, Mai got the courage to ask what he wanted in return, "What do you want?"

"A trade. You for him, simple" Akago stated.

"No" Gene bluntly answered.

"But Gene!" Mai protested.

"It's my job to keep you safe, Mai. Handing you over to that man is not going to happen" he explained.

"Ah, since there's no trade… I guess there's no use of having this battered man around. Tie him up to a dump him in the ocean" Akago ordered his soldiers. Mai reacted quickly, "No! Please, don't!"

Akago smirked hearing her beg. He saw Mai punched Gene in the face, knocking him down and walked towards Akago. Gene stood up as quickly as he could but he knocked out unconscious by a blow on the back of his head. The last thing he saw was Mai looking back at his brother's unmoving body who was a few feet from him.

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><p>If you're mad about Naru getting beat up, please don't kill me!<p>

Next chapter will be posted sometime tomorrow, watch out for that.

Reviews? Comments? Questions? Corrections? Suggestions?

Please don't hesitate to PM me! I will gladly answer anything!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!


	22. Death is Upon Her

Here's the next chapter as promised. I was planning to upload it this morning but I was hungover from Christmas Eve.

How was everyone's Christmas? I hope you guys got the presents you wanted, 'cause I did.

I am now officially engaged to my loving boyfriend of 3 years :) Best Christmas present ever!

Anyway, enjoy!

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><p>The news reached Martin's hideout in half hour and he immediately sent his men to the village, he also came along. Arriving at the village, he saw the villagers lining up the five dead bodies of the soldiers that he sent to pick up Mai and Gene. By the dock, he saw Gene leaning against a barrel, his head down, as if he someone very close died. Next to him was Naru's body, he wasn't moving except for the rise and fall of his chest that signify he's still alive. Martin knelt down beside Naru, checking his injuries before calling two of his soldiers to care for his injured son. He then went over to Gene.<p>

"Gene, what happened? Where's Mai?" he asked.

Gene looked up and with anger he said, "That bastard took her! He knew she'd give herself up for that brother of mine. We've lost the war, father."

"The war is not lost, son. There's still hope," Martin replied.

"Hope? What hope? The moment he kills her will be the end. He'll have her head on a stick and walk around the whole nation with it!"

Martin slapped his son. He was being unreasonable . "Get yourself together! YOU might have lost this war but I haven't, your brother haven't, the people haven't!"

Martin left, ordering the rest of his men to prepare to leave. Gene, slowly stood up. He stared at the place where he last saw Mai. He didn't love Mai like his brother loves her, she was a sister to him. A sister that he failed to protect. With a sigh, he followed his father back to hideout, ready to plan an attack to get Mai back.

It's been a week since Mai arrived at the Taniyama palace. This was the second time she's been there. She expected to be tortured to death when she arrived, but instead, Akago had her wear a servant's outfit and had her serve him food and whatever else he need. The old and torn dress reminded her of her time back in the orphanage, making her feel worst. The only thing she was worried about was Naru. She didn't know if he survived, if he was alright, if he misses her like how she misses him. One day, she was called to the dining area by Akago. She was ready to serve him food and she wasn't expecting him to have her sit down to his right and eat.

Mai sat there quietly, didn't bother touching the food because she has no appetite. Akago, on the other hand, kept eating, as if nothing's wrong. He sipped his wine and looked at her, making her feel uncomfortable under his gaze. "You do look like your mother, especially when you're clean. No doubt you're her daughter. You have the Kasikage eyes and lips, something to be proud of" he started. Mai didn't bother replying to him since she barely knows her family. "Oh, I almost forgot, you barely know them since you've lost your memory due to an accident. I apologize for that. Allow me to explain."

"I was about nine when the Kasikage couple adopted me from the orphanage, your mother two years younger. We grew up together like brothers and sisters. Not having the Kasikage blood, most of the relatives tend to hate me, except for the family that adopted me. During our teens, your mother met your father at a ball to announce that he will be taking over the Eastern Land in a few short years," Akago stood up and went to a window and stared out side before continuing.

"They fell in love and our parents couldn't as happy as they were back then. On your father's 21st birthday, he proposed to marry her, of course they got married but I got into an accident on the wedding the day. I lost my memory and believed I was of Kasikage blood,"

"Why are you telling me this? You can never rule this land, you're not of blood" Mai told him.

"I know that, darling. Anyway, believing I was of blood, I saw the coronation of your parents as a betrayal. The law stated that whoever produce an heir on the first two noble bloods will rule the land. I lost my memory, believed that I was of blood, and I was older than them. I should be the one ruling. But of course, my memories decided to come back. At first, I didn't believe that I was adopted until my adopted mother told me, she showed me a _copy_ of my adoption papers. Of course, with my short temper, I went mad. I assassinated your grandfather, burnt the Kasikage house with the rest of the family. I even made a fake birth certificate to help me get the crown, but I wasn't fast enough. I was told by the high judge that I cannot rule this land because the Taniyama family has an heir on the way, but it ended up as twins,"

"Me and my brother…" Mai whispered.

"Yes! You and your older brother. Your mother saw my true side when she mentioned the real adoption paper hidden somewhere and had men positioned at the palace for protection during you infant years, so I decided to work with Urado. He managed to infiltrate and corrupt your father's head as an advisor. My soldiers raided this palace and had your family moved to the Taniyama manor, but during that process was when you got lost. Your father was the first to go down, then your brother. I must admit, your brother was nice hunt. He's very skilled. I had fun killing him," Akago stopped and smirked at Mai, who had her hands balled up in a fist.

"Your mother was a different story. You see, I had to know where that document was. Torture and rape-"

"You bastard!" Mai shouted, cutting him off.

Akago still continued, "As I was saying, torture and rape didn't work on her so I killed her. I thought it was done, that was until I saw your family portrait, the locket that you were wearing, I knew the answer is in it. Your mother always check your neck for it, signifies how important that is. Ten years I've searched for you high and low but who would expect that a Taniyama house servant would be the one to care for you. Not to mention that the orphanage was barely 3 miles away from here. Luck's always been in your side, Maiyu, but not this time,"

"Why are you telling me all this? Is this some kind of mental abuse? It's not working if it is," she asked.

"Oh no, dear, I just want you to know the tragic story of your family before you die. Tomorrow, in front of everyone in the Eastern Land will watch the fall of the last heir, of their savior, of Taniyama Mai" he smiled before slapping her head. She fell, her head hitting the table and resulted to her unconscious state.

"It's a pity to kill someone with a beautiful face like you, but it's for my own good. I've been longing to have this land, a revenge for all those people who hated and doubted me. Once, they see you dead, they will have no strength to fight against me," he told her unconscious form. He spat at her before leaving the dinning area with a huge grin on his face.

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><p>I hope that explained everything from chapter 20, if not just PM me! I'll gladly answer :)<p>

Reviews? Comments? Corrections? Suggestions?

Please do so! Happy Christmas!


	23. To Save the One You Love

Hello. This is Harold, Cordelia's fiance. Cordelia just had a surgery two days ago and is recovering. She told me to update this story when I have time. It's a good thing that it's already typed and ready to post, but she told me not to forget the author's note. I guess this is it.

She'll be back for the next chapter.

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><p>Naru woke up three days after Mai was traded. He almost trashed the whole base because of his anger towards himself. He couldn't protect her, the only person he'll do anything for was in the hands of the enemy. He calmed down when he realized that being angry and destroying everything he sees will do nothing to help her. He joined his father and brother in planning the attack even though they told him that he's too weak to even mount a horse. With one look at them, they knew that whether they ban him from helping them, he'll find a way one way or another.<p>

On the sixth day, one of their spies arrived with a critical information that he collected. "Davis-san, one of Akago's men announced in a town that the Princess will be beheaded tomorrow at noon in the square near the Taniyama Palace," he announced. Martin, hoping that Naru didn't here it, gathered all his troops and prepared them for battle. Much to his dismay, Naru was just by the door and heard everything. He got his gun ready and prepared his horse. His father saw and tried stopping him. "You are no shape to fight, Noll. We'll take care of it," Martin assured him.

"Even with your own words, father, I'm still going. I don't care if it cost me my life. I have to make sure she's not hurt," Noll replied while adjusting the straps on his horse. Martin sighed before and turned away. Before he left the stable, Noll whispered loud enough for him to hear, "She means everything to me, so please understand." Martin left the stable and ordered two of his men to lock it up with Naru inside.

"Forgive me, but it's too much of a risk to have you there" Martin said to no one. He heard Naru banging on the door, yelling for him to open it up. Gene heard the ruckus and came over. "What's the matter?" he asked. "No one will open that door unless I say so, that includes you too, Gene," Martin ordered. Gene nodded half-heartedly. He took one more glance at the stable before leaving with his father and the troops to the Eastern Land.

Naru kicked the door again but it didn't budge. He sighed and looked around the stable, the only thing there was the oil lamp. 'Perfect,' he thought. He took it and mounted the horse. He threw the lamp on the hay and it was quickly engulfed in fire. "Fire!" he called out. The smoke started coming out of the windows and the soldiers who were left in the base opened the door to extinguish it. Naru took the chance and rode out on his horse when the soldiers opened the door. He rode down the path to the Eastern Land and knew that if he was to get there in time, he'll be traveling throughout the night.

Mai watched as the sun rises on her small room. She knew that she'll be killed in a few hours. She heard the door opened and saw one of the soldiers carrying a tray of food. "Eat up, wench," he said and left the room. She didn't even bother touching the food, what was the point? She's going to die anyway, she won't see Naru or the others. The land that his parents protected and nourished will be die at the hands of Akago. She failed as a princess, as the only heir to the throne. The only good thing she's done, in her opinion, was saving the man she loves. With a sigh, she sat in a corner and waited.

Martin, Gene, and his men arrived in a forest near the nearby village where the beheading was to take place. They abandoned their uniforms and dresses up as peasants. Once they saw the villagers heading to the town square near the Taniyama Palace, they quickly followed. They all walked in silence to conceal their identity and be like the other villagers. They don't what the outcome of this rescue will be since there a lot of innocent people around. When they arrived at the town square, they were surprised by the number of people there. They anticipated to have at the most of fifty but there were hundreds of them. They scattered around the square, guns hidden at their coats, ready to fire as they waited.

Naru arrived at the town square a few minutes before noon. He quickly noticed his father and Gene standing near a make-shift podium. 'What are they doing?!' he thought. He figured that they'll be noticed if they stand that close, but to his relief they moved away. He took some dirt and covered his face with it, masking his true identity. He even passed his father and brother without being noticed. His gun was ready, all he needed to do was wait, just like the others.

Mai heard a lot of footsteps in the hallway, she knew that it's time. She stood up and waited for them to come in. When the door opened, she saw Akago in nice suit with a huge grin plastered on his face. "Ready to die, princess?" he asked. Mai didn't answer, she just gave him a dirty look. Two of the four soldiers with Akago tied her hands tight, it was burning her skin. "Don't worry, dear, once your head is off, you won't feel those burns" he smiled. "Karma will get you one day" she muttered before she was escorted outside, where she was blindfolded.

She walked for about ten minutes before she started hearing people gasping and muttering words she couldn't understand. She was then carried up the steps to the podium where a guillotine was waiting. The blindfold was taken off and she saw the number of people to see her die. Some were cheering while some were shaking their heads in sadness. She didn't even recognize the man below her, who was looking at her with such love. Another one of Akago's prisoners were in attendance, Yasuhara. He wanted him to document the fall of the Taniyama bloodline. Akago walked forward and smiled at the crowd.

"Welcome! I hope your travel wasn't harsh to get here. This will day will be a glorious day! Even the weather agrees," he greeted the crowd, the sun shinning down on him. "In a short while, the only heir to the throne will be beheaded and I will ascend to rule this land, and probably the others too." The crowd gasped, it meant a bigger war if he plans to takeover the other lands as well. "I'd like to acknowledge our historian, Yasuhara," he pointed at the man on the side. "He will be recording this whole scene with such details on his note," Akago informed them.

"Now, it's time" he announced.

Mai was pulled forward to the guillotine. She saw the blade and gulped. "Say goodbye, princess," one of the soldiers whispered in her ear. Her neck was placed under the blade, tears were forming in her eyes but she's not going down in tears. Before the blade was cut loose, she heard a couple of gunfire. She looked around the soldiers on the stage were on the ground bleeding. She then noticed that there were people shooting from the crowd.

"Mai!" she heard someone call. She tried moving but her hands were tied and her neck was stuck in the guillotine. She then felt the rope on her wrists loosen and the lock on the guillotine was gone. Next thing she knew was that she was being pulled down the stairs by some dirty villager. "W-wait!" she called to the person dragging her.

"There's no time, Mai"

Mai was shocked to hear the voice. She knows that voice to well, but that's impossible.

Once they got into the woods, the man turned around and faced Mai. She gasped when she saw his deep blue eyes. "N-Naru?" she asked as she wipes away the dirt on his face. Before she knew it, tears were already flowing down her cheeks. "Don't worry, you're safe now," he whispered. She nodded in reply and hugged him. She wanted to stay that way forever, but a very familiar evil voice. Naru and Mai turned and saw a very bloody Akago.

"Think you can escape? Think again," he said while pointing a gun at them.

Naru quickly pushed Mai behind him, shielding her from danger. He rested his right hand behind his back, ready to pull out the small gun. "Only one of us will live, dear boy," Akago added. There were more gunshots heard from the town square, but they were alone there. Mai heard a rustle to their left and saw one of Akago's men pointing a gun at Naru. She knew that he wouldn't dare shoot her because Akago wants to kill her himself. She looked at Akago who took a quick glance to the hidden soldier before grinning. When he raised his left brow, Mai pushed Naru down then the shot echoed through the forest.

Naru was shocked when Mai pushed him, but he heard the shot he knew something was wrong. He pulled out his gun and shot Akago quickly, he shot him once, twice, thrice to make sure he was dead. Just when he was about to stand up, someone fell on his back. When he turned all he saw were brown hair. "Mai…?" he whispered. There was no answer. He gently sat up and saw Mai smiling at him while clutching her bleeding abdomen. "Mai! What did you do?!" he yelled.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"Shh… I'll go get help, ok? Just stay with me," he then called someone for help, his voice breaking.

"N-Naru…" she whispered again.

He looked down at her, tears running down his cheeks.

"I… I love…" Mai didn't get to finish her sentence and Naru waited for what seems like an eternity.

"Mai! Wake up! Don't leave me… Please…" he cried.

Gene and Martin arrived at the scene and quickly took Mai's pulse. She was still alive, but barely and Naru didn't know that. Gene took Mai to the nearest doctor even with Naru's protest, who was being held back by Martin. "Gene will take care of her, Noll. Get a hold of yourself!" Martin yelled at him. "Get a hold of myself? That's the woman I love, dead! How would you feel if-" Naru was knocked unconscious by Yasuhara, who was holding a gun. "I thought you needed help," he smiled.

Gene put Mai down on the bed in the doctor's house. He was quickly escorted by the assistants outside before they fix her up. He sat down next to the door before he noticed his bloody hands. "Gene, how's Mai?" Martin asked when he arrived there. "I-I don't know… How's Noll?"

"He's knocked out, but we need to prepare for the worst if…"

"Father, there's no ifs, Mai's going to survive," Gene bluntly answered.

They waited outside for hours. Naru joined them after an hour of waiting. To their surprise, he was calmer than they expected him to be. It was in the middle of the night when the doctor came out. He was bloody and he looked exhausted. The three men stood up and waited for him to break the news. With a sigh the doctor looked at them with a straight face. None of them could read his expression if it's a good or bad news. "The princess is…"


	24. 5 Months Later

Hello to my lovely readers! I had my fiancee update it for me because I had surgery, but no worries! I'm completely alright. I just got out of the hospital earlier today or yesterday and told myself that I have to finish this, soon. So, here's the next chapter!

There's going to be 1 or 2 more chapters after this one before I rest this story and continue on my other one.

So, ENJOY!

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><p>5 Months Later…<p>

"It's been 5 months, Noll…"

"I know, father, but I have a lot of things to get done and going to that ball will only ruin the schedule."

"For once… don't think about your job, think about your life"

Naru didn't answer as he continued with packing all the documents he needed for work. He turned and smiled at his father who was on the doorway.

"Maybe someday…" then he left.

Martin entered the room and saw the invitation on his table. It was unopened, meaning Naru didn't even bother reading it. Gene entered the room and saw his father looking at the invitation. "He still wouldn't budge?" he asked. Martin turned and showed him the unopened invitation, "He's trying to avoid it, I've done all I could do, but it's not enough." Gene nodded, nothing to say since he also tried everything he's got to convince his brother. Both of them left the room with a frown, knowing that Noll is not going to change his mind in the matter.

Taniyama Palace, Eastern Land…

Everyone was busy for the ball held that night. Flowers started arriving early in the morning, chefs cooking, cleaners cleaning, and birds chirping outside an unfinished wing of the castle. After the war ended 4 months ago, the palace was renovated to make it look more fresh and welcoming compared to its eerie look before. Many people received jobs during the renovation and after it, giving them chance to create a better future. The villages, towns, and cities in the Eastern Land were getting better and the citizens were happier, all but one…

In the Taniyama Palace is where she's found, in the west tower. She's the known successor of the throne that's been left alone in almost 11 years. The crowning of the heir will not happen until his or her 21st birthday or when they're engage and ready to be married in a couple of months. In her position, she'll be waiting for 3 more years since she's 18 that day, the reason for the ball. She didn't plan any of it, Madoka did with the help of Luella. Her advisor, who Martin suggested because of his intelligence and knowledge of the Taniyama family, Yasuhara knocked on the door. Mai groaned and got off the bed, she put on her robe before opening the door.

"Good morning, princess!" he greeted with so much cheer, waving his notepad around.

"Please don't call me princess, just call me by my name and it's too early…" she whined.

"Please, Mai, you have a lot of dress to fit for tonight" he informed her, checking her schedule.

"Ughh!" she plopped on her bed and hid under the comforter when the sunlight lit the room after Yasuhara moved the curtains aside.

"Come on, Mai, breakfast is in five minutes and if you're not down there by that time, I'll drag you down"

Mai groaned when she heard the door shut. She lazily got out of bed for the second time and went to her dresser to get ready.

Breakfast went by quick and before she knew it she was being thrown in and out off of dresses that she'll somehow wear that night at the ball. Dresses varied from being frilly, lacey, puffy… well, none of them seemed to catch Mai's eyes. She thought that they were too extravagant, too luxurious… She was just a simple girl and a simple dress was all she needed. After hours of dress fitting, she finally got a break before they dress for the night. With that break, she went to her parents' old room, a room she's been trying to avoid since she moved in. She had the servants clean and dress it up, but told them to leave the rest in place. She was grateful enough that Akago didn't touch anything in the palace, except the dinning area and the dungeons. She went inside the room and sat on the bed, staring at their family portrait. She admired how the late queen, her mother, dressed so simple. The dress was a simple white and pink gown, sweetheart neckline, and a white sash that ties to a ribbon on the back. She wondered if the gown has been saved… She looked into the huge dresser not far from the bed. She saw dresses after dresses, her mother's. She then noticed a box under the dresses and took it, she smiled widely when she saw what was inside. Oh this will be the perfect for her.

The night approached quickly, guests started arriving once the sun was halfway down. The villagers were invited as well, common folk, everyone was invited. Madoka, who wore a sheer red dress arrived with Lin, wearing a button down white polo, black dress pants, and a red vest to match Madoka. Luella arrived minutes after with her husband. She wore a silver dress paired with a shawl while her husband wore a grey button shirt, dress pants, a black vest, and a black coat. More guests arrived before Gene showed up in a black and white suit with a smirk on his face, as if he accomplished something that's impossible.

Mai was still in her room, getting her waist long her done. She told the hair dresser to keep it simple, to keep down. Her natural beauty was praised by the other dresser, but when she showed them what she was wearing, they all frowned. They commented how the dress looked old and worn out, but she explained that it means a lot to her to wear it, it signifies the family that she came from. Not really understanding what she was saying, both dresser just agreed. Once they got her in the dress, which was a perfect fit, they saw how beautiful she looked on the dress. Compared to the other dresses she tried on today, this was the one.

Naru was in an inn near the Taniyama Palace. He wanted to go to the ball, but every time he sees her face he keeps remembering what happened 5 months ago.

_Flashback:_

_5 Months earlier…_

_The doctor looked at the three and said, "The princess has lost too much blood and the wound is fatal…" No words were said after that. Gene and Martin looked at Noll who seemed to be having an internal battle with himself, but the doctor continued. "But, she's alive and hanging on. The first night is critical for her so I suggest that you prepare yourselves if she does not survive the next hours." Noll relaxed a bit after hearing she was still alive, barely, but alive. _

_He was the first to see Mai and he wasn't ready for the sight. She was on a bed, lying limply with bandages on her upper body. There bloodstains on the bed sheet. What worried him the most was her pale complexion, labored breathing, and sweating. He carefully sat next to her, not minding if he gets blood on his clothes. He took her cold hands and cried. He didn't care if someone sees him, he could lose the person he loves for all sake. Pride was not important to him right then, it was her and her life. While crying, he felt someone brushing his hair and when he looked up, he smiled._

"_H-hey… you're alright" she said with a weak voice as she caress his cheek._

"_Shhh… save your strength, I'll be here when you wake up" he responded, taking both of her hands in between his._

"_It's okay… I wanted to… to see if you're ok" she smiled at him._

_Naru smiled with tears. He wanted to hug her right then but knew that he might hurt her, instead he kissed her forehead and whispered, "Sleep for now, we'll talk tomorrow, ok?"_

_Mai just nodded in reply and closed her eyes._

_He then realized that he was the reason she's hurting. She put him before her because she didn't want anything happening to him. Even in her, probable, death bed she's still worried about him. He's been selfish and knew that he didn't deserve any of her kindness and definitely not her love. So, he decided to leave her. With one last kiss on her forehead, he left. He passed Gene and his father outside without a word and took off. Gene and Martin thought that she died, but when they saw her peacefully sleeping they knew that something was off._

_End Flashback._

He stared at the road to the palace, debating if he should continue there or turn back. He admitted to himself that he missed her, a lot, and seeing her would make his day or even his life, but he was too ashamed to face her. She was the princess and he was just a son of a Lord from the Western Lands, no… he was the son of the man who killed her family. He thought about it and then remembered that Mai didn't care whether he was the son or not. She loved him as himself, the egotistical, narcissistic, jerk. He then called his horse to continue down to the Taniyama Palace, maybe it's time to face everything… Maybe…

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><p>How was it?<p>

There's going to be a chapter 25 and an epilogue or chapter 25 as the epilogue... Not sure yet, but what do you guys think I should do?

Reviews? Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Corrections?

Thank you for reading!


	25. Reunion and Happily Ever After

Sorry for the super late update! I've been busy planning my wedding for next year... I'm really sorry.

Anyway, this is the last chapter! Yay!

I might have rushed this so there might be some mistakes here and there, but I'll look through it when I have the time.

Enjoy!

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><p>The ball was fun and the people enjoyed themselves. Mai was tired from dancing almost every man in the ball room so she decided to take a break in the balcony. The night was nice, cool breeze and starry sky. She was about to go back in, but a movement caught her attention. There was a shadow by the apple tree nearby and she wanted to know who's in her mother's garden. She went to the garden, unaware that Gene saw her from the inside. She went to the apple tree but nobody was there. "I swear I saw someone…" she muttered. She was about to turn back but then she saw it again. The person was about to climb over the wall and out but she tackled him or her. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked when she was on top of the person.<p>

"I thought you'd be more graceful and elegant now that you're a princess," the person muttered.

Mai knew that voice, although it's been months since the last time she heard she knew who's the owner. Slowly, she stood up letting the person stand up as well. He had his back turned to her but through the dim light she knew that dark hair neat hair. "N-Naru?" she asked. The man turned and she almost tackled him back to the ground in happiness, but she was overwhelmed with anger. "What are you doing here?" she asked sternly, raising an eyebrow at him. "I came here because I was invited." Mai blinked, thinking what she should answer him. "Well, I'm un-inviting you. You can leave now," she replied.

Naru looked at her, eye to eye, and saw the hurt she's been trying to hide for months. "That's how you greet an old friend?" he asked. Mai narrowed her eyes at him before stomping on his right foot. "Friends don't leave each other for no reason, therefore we are not friends." She turned and started to walk away but a pair of strong arms found their way around her waist. She felt him behind her, she can feel his breath on the back oh her neck. "N-Naru, w-what are yo-"

"I'm sorry I left you… I thought that I'd hurt you more if I stayed," he confessed.

Mai felt something wet on her neck and that was when she realized that he was crying. The last time she saw him cry was when she was on her death bed. "I'm really sorry…" Mai sighed and turned to face him. She wiped his tears away, or what was left of it before smiling at him. "I've forgiven you already, idiot," she told him. Naru looked at her, he was surprised, but just a little bit that Mai forgave him. He knew she was not the type of girl who holds grudges, she forgives and forgets. "Thank you," he said then hugged her tight, as if she'll disappear any second. When they pulled apart, he looked deeply in her brown eyes, Mai looking back, before he leaned down… She was about to meet him half way, but someone interrupted them.

"Ehem, Yasuhara's looking for Mai." Both of them turned and saw Gene leaning on a tree with a smirk on his face. "Nice to see you here, Noll, I thought you were not planning on going?" he asked. Naru didn't bother answering him because he saw Yasu looking for them.

"Come on, he's looking for you," Naru said and took Mai's hand in his as they walk back inside.

Naru was overwhelmed with the number of people present, but he did not expect for girls to surround him and drool over him. He felt uncomfortable around them, the moment Mai left with Yasuhara to attend on something, he felt lost. He gave the girls fake smiles before walking towards his family, who are smirking at him.

"Where did Mai go?" he asked them.

"This is her 18th birthday, Noll, there are suitors in the room that would love to have her hand in marriage. Yasu planned to have those men meet her-" Luella was cut off by Madoka, who was smirking at Noll.

"The plan is to have the men ask her hand in marriage, see if she likes anyone. If she does, then they might get married in the next few months…"

Naru shot his brother a look, trying to see if any of them were lying. Unfortunately, they weren't.

"Little brother, there's only one way from stopping Mai marrying the wrong man" he informed him.

"And what is that?" Naru asked.

"Simple, ask her yourself"

"Me? What could possibly have gone into your head to think that she'll say 'yes' to me?"

"You're smart, but only book smart. The question is, are you going to say 'I do' when she said 'yes'?

Naru gave him a confusing look, but decided to just watch.

Mai sat in a fancy chair in the middle of the room, in front of her was a line of men ready to propose. She felt uncomfortable at the idea of men proposing at her, she's only going to say the magic word to one man and that one man is standing in a corner with his family. Naru watched as men move away after being rejected, that was until a man with a light brown hair came into view. He noticed how Mai's eyes widened in delight, as if she's happy to see him.

"Who's that?" Naru asked Gene.

"That's Takumi from the Asagi family. He was here during the renovation and they got pretty close" Gene told him. "They were so close that he spent a few nights here last month, he was also here last week teaching her how to side saddle on the horse" he added with a smile when he saw his brother's face darkened. Without warning, he pushed through the crown and knelt in front of Mai, not caring about Takumi, who was behind him.

"N-Naru… What are you-?"

"What do you think?"

"B-but…"

"Do you think I'll just let any man take you away? Now, I'm going to ask your hand in marriage. If you don't say it, then you're dead meat to me."

Mai giggle a bit then smiled at him. She called Yasuhara and whispered something into his ear.

"The princess has spoken, she made a decision to give her hand to Oliver, son of Lord Martin Davis" Yasuhara announced.

Naru was shocked when he heard the announcement, he didn't any words to say.

"Cat go your tongue, Naru?" Mai asked before taking his hand and leading him to the balcony.

"Why me, Mai?" he asked when they were alone.

"You know, you're only book smart" Mai told him, gazing at the garden.

"Gene told me that earlier"

"You know almost everything, but you don't know a person's feelings" Mai continued, not looking at him.

"I don't? Care to explain."

Mai faced him, sighed, and said, "For the past months or year, for all those times we've been together, how can you not know my feelings for you? I've figured that I'm just a girl to you earlier that time, but your actions says the opposite. Gene, your brother, I knew that I'm just a little sister to him even before he told me. And you…"

"What about me?"

"I know, well knew, that you have at least some sort of feelings for me. You try to hide it, but it's obvious"

'What is that feeling that you speak of?"

"Naru, do you… do you love me?" she asked, looking straight in his eyes.

"Do you love me, Mai?" was his answer.

"I asked you first, jerk" she said, poking him.

"Does this answer your question?" before Mai could ask, the next thing she knew was being pulled so close to him and feeling his lips on her. When the situation finally registered in her mind, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. When they pulled apart, Mai smiled at him and so did he.

"So, what's next?" she asked.

"The wedding" he answered.

The two walked back inside, hand in hand, finally confessing their love for each other. After facing so many hardships, the two lovebirds can finally have their happily ever after.

* * *

><p>Cheesy ending? I think so too. Well, thank you for waiting for this last chapter and thank you for all your comments and suggestions and questions. Just thank you a lot.<p>

Comments? Reviews? Suggestions? Corrections?

THANK YOU!

I'll be updating the other story in a couple of weeks or so! Look out for that!


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